Cleats for Kids distribute at Mark Herman Free Soccer Camp for 5th Year

When Jon Dault started the Mike Herman Memorial Free Soccer Camp five years ago, he had no idea how quickly his new venture would blossom. That first camp, slapped together in 20 days, drew just over 200 young soccer players. The camp, which takes place at Grand Haven High School usually has 550 participants or more per year.  The camp is completely free for all who would like to participate. Several companies and individuals have donated money to make the camp possible, including title sponsor Shoreline Sport and Spine. The Tri-Cities Kiwanis club as well as the Tri-Cities Youth Soccer Association are also involved, Dault said.

The camp bears the name of Mike Herman, an outstanding soccer and basketball player at Grand Haven who tragically died in a traffic accident during his sophomore year.

“When I started, I said, ‘I can’t call this the free soccer cap for kids who don’t have money, so I called (Grand Haven varsity boys soccer coach) Aaron Dean and asked if he had any ideas,” Dault said. “He told me the story about Mike Herman, so I called up Mark and Judy Herman and asked if I could use Mike’s name in his honor, name the camp after their son, and they gave it their blessing.

Cleats For Kids has been a big supporter of this camp and have participated in a shoe distribution on the first day of the camp for the last 5 years.