St. Lawrence County to help celebrate Lake Placid Soccer Centre’s 50th anniversary

CANTON — St. Lawrence County will be among the focal points of a statewide celebration next summer as the Lake Placid Soccer Centre marks 50 years of youth soccer education and programming with events in Lake Placid and at Canton, New York, including camps and clinics hosted in partnership with St. Lawrence University.

The Golden Anniversary week, scheduled for July 13–17, will feature youth soccer camps, coach clinics, tournaments and World Cup-themed events across the region. Organizers say former campers and families from the past five decades are invited to return for programming and celebrations.

Co-founder Mike McGlynn said more than 70,000 campers have participated in youth programs in Lake Placid and at St. Lawrence University since the organization began.

“We are inviting any former campers to join us for a full slate of soccer activities,” McGlynn said, noting the week will include two FIFA World Cup semifinal watch parties, a coach clinic focused on youth development and a reunion-style gathering for former participants and staff.

A highlight of the week will be a free coaching clinic led by Alfred Galustian, co-founder of the Coerver Coaching Method, a player development system used internationally. Organizers said the method has played a central role in the program’s training approach since its early development in the mid-1980s at Lake Placid camp sites.

The celebration will also include an adult 5-on-5 World Cup watch party tournament at North Elba athletic fields, designed as a reunion-style event for former players and regional soccer groups. Matches will coincide with the FIFA World Cup semifinal broadcasts on July 14 and 15.

Organizers said the week will also reconnect participants from past indoor “Dawn to Dark” tournaments held at Olympic Center rinks, which drew thousands of players from across North America between 1981 and 2007.

The 50th anniversary schedule also includes youth camps in Watertown and an overnight camp July 19–25 at St. Lawrence University. Former campers and participants are encouraged to attend.