Fowler Lecturer Shares His Passion for Soccer With Promising Young PlayersPage Title

 Randrup (left, in black) teaches his players how to keep an opponent from getting to an incoming ball

Nils Randrup’s love of soccer started during his childhood and he became good enough at the sport to play in a semi-pro premier soccer league in his native country Denmark during the 1980s. 

Even after moving to the U.S., Randrup — who is a business professional and lecturer in the management information systems (MIS) department at the Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University — retained his devotion for the sport which led him to coach his children and others in youth soccer programs. Eventually, he became a certified (B-level) FIFA soccer coach and referee. 

Camp participants and coaches come from several different countries for one week in July

After visiting friends and family on a trip in southern Sweden, Randrup became aware of the need for an organized youth soccer training program in the area. To fill this void and satisfy his passion for coaching, he organized the week-long International Soccer Academy Camp in the city of Molle in the summer of 2008. Randrup has been able to organize, support and manage the camp each year since then, including in 2020 when Sweden allowed a limited number of outdoor youth soccer programs to commence during the pandemic. 

Randup’s soccer camp is open to both girls and boys

The International Soccer Academy Camp brings 30 boys and girls, ages 7 – 14, together during the summer and Randrup says he enjoys sharing unique skills he learned during his playing days with the group. “We get kids from several countries that speak different languages and I have four or five assistant coaches to help me operate the camp,” he said. “I use my passion and professional experience to run an academy-level soccer program that incorporates some fun games and teaches kids all the tricks they normally do not learn with most soccer clubs.” 

The International Soccer Academy Camp admits promising young players on an invitation-only basis and operates for five days each July.