By Chris Hummer

(Zarephath, N.J.) - Day two here at U.S. Club Soccer's id2 Camp has nearly come to a close. It's 9:30 pm, 30 minutes until lights outs for the players. Today the focus was on getting the players some education on proper running technique and nutrition with guest coach/consultant Mark Williams, as well as providing coaches with an opportunity to arrange almost full-length games of 11 vs. 11 play in order to advance the evaluation process.

The 11 vs. 11 games were watched closely by the coaches, knowing their evening duties would include the realignment of players on teams for the remainder of the camp. Today was also the first full day of training sessions, or what is otherwise known as "two-a-days" in camp speak. Saturday will hold the same, while Sunday will involve only a morning session for each team that will likely be a final full-sided game before the players depart for home.

The two sessions today were actually almost like three. In the morning the girls had back-to-back sessions, training with the coaches as well as going through one of Williams' educational fitness sessions. In the afternoon, the boys did the same.

In addition to the soccer work, Williams ran the groups through a series of exercises designed to teach them how to run with better form, focusing on balance, the stages of sprinting, arm movement and other techniques. He emphasized, both on the field and in the hotel during a mid-day presentation, that learning the proper form of running is something every player can do to improve their effectiveness on the field.

Those who have been following our @TheSoccerWire Twitter account, or catching the re-tweets from @USClubSoccer, might also know that the afternoon session today was delayed after a fast-moving thunderstorm rolled in. The storm seemed to literally appear during the short drive from the hotel to the PDA fields complex, quickly eclipsing the first warming sunshine of the camp. The arrival of the winds ahead of the rain sent the US Club Soccer staff scrambling to take down the athletic trainer's tent just in time, and this writer even saw one of the port-a-johns tilt up at a 20-degree angle in a gust.

The passing of the storm brought a drop in temperature and a steady breeze, both of which, combined with the sunset about 90 minutes later, made for a crisp evening for observers. But it was perfect weather for soccer, allowing the players to work as hard as they could without overheating, but warm enough to not require cold-weather gear, which most of the players likely did not have with them.

So, things are halfway done here already. We've captured tons of great video footage, picked up dozens of new Twitter followers, and capped the day with a very interesting conversation with Jill Ellis, U.S. Soccer's Women's Development Director, about the value of camps like this in identifying talent. Oh, we also asked her about U.S. Women's National Team goalkeeper Hope Solo - but you'll have to wait until Monday to see the video.

[ +Click here for player rosters and other NSW coverage of this week's id2 camp ]