July 2009

Summer time fun at Takoma SportsCamps

by Annie Denenberg

Bag lunches, scraping your knees, baseball caps and a Popsicle at the end of the week remind most people of the good old days of summer. Takoma SportsCamps likes to pride itself on providing the same type of old fashioned summer fun that kids get so rarely these days.

Camp directors Sue Immerman and Louis Hoelman started Takoma SportsCamps in 1997 as a fundraiser for the Takoma Park Babe Ruth League. Both had a goal in mind to give kids instruction in the game of baseball, help them improve their skills, and most importantly make it fun for every kid, no matter how much experience, skill, and talent he or she had.

With kids, ages seven to 14, coming from all around the Takoma Park area, the camp was a success from the start, so successful that the directors added a second week of baseball. They added a week of girls softball camp in 1999, and in 2001, added a two-week coed basketball camp.

Left: Close call at third base. Right: After each game, former competititors revert back to being friends.

The camp is structured similarly for all three sports. Kids are divided into age groups and placed on teams, which they stay on for the entire week.

In the mornings the teams rotate through skill stations, focusing on basic and more technical skills of the game. Friday morning each player gets to challenge his or her skills in camp Olympics and compete for first, second, or third place.

After lunch and some quick sports trivia, teams play each other in a weeklong tournament, which culminates in a championship game Friday. This allows the kids to practice the skills they learn in the morning, but also have a lot of fun!

One camper winds up for the pitch.

Max Perez-Duel, an 11 year old at Westland Middle School, says his favorite part about camp is the games. “It is fun to play baseball,” he says, smiling. He also likes the groundball and pop fly stations in the mornings.

James Madden, an eight year old at Rolling Terrace Elementary disagrees; his favorite part is the Olympics because “you get to compete with your friends and show off the skills that you learned.” He also likes camp because it’s fun and he gets to make new friends.

The young campers aren’t the only ones who enjoy camp. Many of the counselors are experienced high school or college athletes, who actually started playing at Takoma SportsCamps.

Allison Rubin, a starting outfielder for the division one Delaware State softball team, started playing softball at the Takoma SportsCamps. Allison now works at the camps and explains how Takoma Softball Camp was a great experience for her, “it was a great place to start from because of the noncompetitive and enjoyable atmosphere. Louis Hoelman and Sue Immerman do a great job at making the camp fun for everyone, no matter what skill level and help everyone get better.”

Batter up! Excitement in the dugout rises...

Hoelman takes a special interest in the softball camp because he is not only a camp director, but also the varsity softball coach at Montgomery Blair High School. Like Allison, many girls that come to camp end up playing for Hoelman later on. “Getting to know the girls at camp allows me to form better relationships with them, so when it comes time to try out for the team it doesn’t seem as scary and overwhelming for them.”

As for playing sports later in life, that is a possibility for some. But for many, Takoma SportCamps are a fun way to spend a week or two of the summer learning about, getting better at, and having fun playing the sports they love.

Pat Rumbaugh, an award winning tennis coach, a Physical Education teacher at Washington International School and the author of the upcoming books Let’s Play at the Playground and Let’s Play Outside thinks that play is crucial for children. She explains “structured play at a camp like Takoma SportsCamps offers many benefits; learning new physical skills, seeing young role models teach and play with the campers. Learning how to win gracefully and accepting that you do not always win.” She also stresses that if kids learn at a young age that playing and exercise can be fun, they will develop good healthy habits for the future.

Another great part of Takoma SportsCamps is that for most families it is very affordable. The $200 per week it costs for each child is almost unheard of compared to most summer camps in the area. The camp also gives out financial assistance for those who need it and sponsors 15% of campers each year.

Whether it’s shooting a three pointer for the win, gunning down a runner at home, or simply laughing with newfound friends, Takoma SportsCamps are the ideal way for every kid to spend the summer playing outside and having fun.

Interested in sending your child to Takoma SportsCamps? There is still time! Go to www.takomasportscamps.org for more information and links to register.