About Us
Our Beginnings
High School Prep
Our Beginnings
Over 25 years ago, our journey began as Slocum Soccer School, founded in 1998 by Nancy Slocum. Her vision was simple yet groundbreaking: create a day camp dedicated entirely to the female athlete, offering strong female role models and an empowering environment.
A former semi-professional player, Academic All-American, and two-time NCAA Na
Over 25 years ago, our journey began as Slocum Soccer School, founded in 1998 by Nancy Slocum. Her vision was simple yet groundbreaking: create a day camp dedicated entirely to the female athlete, offering strong female role models and an empowering environment.
A former semi-professional player, Academic All-American, and two-time NCAA National Champion at the University of North Carolina, Slocum recognized that most soccer camps at the time catered primarily to boys, with girls and female coaches included only sparingly. Shortly after becoming the head girls’ varsity soccer coach and PE & Health teacher at Concord Carlisle High School, she launched the camp — and it quickly gained an outstanding reputation, selling out every summer.
In 2012, Slocum partnered with Kate Grant, then the head coach at Lincoln-Sudbury, to introduce a high school training program. Motivated by the high rate of serious injuries among female student-athletes, they focused on ACL injury prevention while progressively building fitness and technical skills to prepare players for their fall seasons.
That same year, Caitlin Pickul joined the coaching staff and soon became an integral partner in running both the day camp and high school prep programs.
For more than a decade, Slocum, Grant, and Pickul directed the programs together. In 2025, after 26 years of leadership, Slocum passed the torch to her trusted partners, and the camp was renamed NextPlay Soccer School. While she remains a teacher and coach at Concord Carlisle High School, Slocum still steps in to lend her expertise as needed — and has even been known to show up on the coaching staff when available.
Day Camp
High School Prep
Our Beginnings
Now in its 27th year, our Day Camp has developed an amazing reputation! Not only does our Day Camp exclusively serve female soccer players, the majority of our staff is also female. Our coaches' ability to act as strong role models enhances their excellent soccer instruction. They have been chosen because they love the game and are inv
Now in its 27th year, our Day Camp has developed an amazing reputation! Not only does our Day Camp exclusively serve female soccer players, the majority of our staff is also female. Our coaches' ability to act as strong role models enhances their excellent soccer instruction. They have been chosen because they love the game and are invested in giving back to local youth. Many of our coaches are teachers, coaches or graduates of Concord-Carlisle High School, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School or other nearby schools. We maintain a low player to coach ratio (never more than 10:1) and are dedicated to the overall development of the female soccer player through personalized instruction, maximum touches on the ball and maximum time in game-like situations.
High School Prep
High School Prep
High School Prep
High School Prep is a 8-week, 15-session program designed to progressively build fitness and soccer skills in preparation for high school tryouts and seasons. This program was founded in 2012 by Nancy Slocum and Kate Grant, both long-time high school soccer coaches at Concord-Carlisle High School and Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School
High School Prep is a 8-week, 15-session program designed to progressively build fitness and soccer skills in preparation for high school tryouts and seasons. This program was founded in 2012 by Nancy Slocum and Kate Grant, both long-time high school soccer coaches at Concord-Carlisle High School and Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School respectively. Caitlin Pickul was added to the administrative staff in 2018 and has played a major role in the programming of the sessions since then. The program features an ACL injury prevention curriculum, specialized goalkeeper instruction and high school level fitness preparation.
NEW NAME. SAME PROGRAM.
Same staff. Same philosophy.
Same commitment
to player development.