KIDS TASTE WORLD CUP : VETERAN AMERICAN PLAYER BECOMES ROLE MODEL, FRIEND.

Byline: Alan Springer Daily News Staff Writer

At first glance, the camp at Westlake High School appears to be your average 9-to-5 session, with supervised sports activities broken up by lunch and snacks.

But this is Eric Wynalda's third annual Holiday Soccer Camp, where the kids get more than a World Cup role model - they get a friend.

Wynalda is the first one there in the morning. And he is the last one to leave the field at the end of the day - but only after he's talked to every kid and said goodbye to every parent.

``I believe that soccer is the only sport where we, as the athletes, can really get to know our fans,'' said Wynalda, a member of the San Jose Clash of Major League Soccer. ``I do this camp because I want to be able to give back to the community, and teaching these young kids is a great way to do it.''

Wynalda begins his day by setting up all of the cones and going over drills with the other coaches. He stays with the kids all day, eats lunch with them, hangs out with them, and autographs everything from soccer balls to foreheads. He talks to the kids about more than just soccer. He tries to teach them lessons about life.

Wynalda sets up drills and situations for the kids to be tested on. The camp, which is for boys and girls ages 5-15, is based on three things: skill instruction, competing in game situations, and most of all, getting the parents out there to watch their kids play.

``I think that the community (Westlake) here is great,'' said Wynalda, who went to Westlake High School. ``The parents and the kids really get into the sport, and it is great for me to be able to come back to where it all started for me.''

Aberto Bru and Scott Murray are back once again as the tournament directors. Bru said the camp, which has more than 100 participants, is one of the best they have had. The first two days of the camp were rained out but will be made up this week.

``We make this camp around the holidays because it is the only time in Eric's schedule he is free,'' Bru said.

Bru and Murray have assembled an all-star set of coaches to accompany Wynalda for the four-day camp, including Scott Hunter (an assistant coach at Cal State Northridge), Mari Meinhart (UCLA women's team), David Salzwedel (goalie for the San Jose Clash) and Cindy Daws.

Daws grew up playing soccer in the area at Louisville High School. She moved on to Notre Dame, where she won a national championship last season and took home Player of the Year honors this season.

``The best thing for the kids is to have someone like Eric and myself to look up to,'' Daws said. ``I went to camps like this when I was young, so I know what it is like to be in their shoes. It's amazing how big the sport has become. I am only a collegiate athlete, and they know who I am. I like making a connection with them, and I want them to have goals for their future.''

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Photo: Children ages 5-15 attend the camp which is based on three things: skills, competition and getting parents to watch their kids play.

Jeremy Greene/Special to the Daily News