News > Summer Sports Camp Hits The Mark
Summer Sports Camp Hits The Mark The first time 12-year-old Jessica Capron came to The College of The Bahamas Summer Sports Camp last year, it was at her mother's insistence. This year, an eager Jessica didn't need persuasion. "Last year, I came here because my mother told me about all the various sports I could play. When I came, I really enjoyed it and I decided to come back this year," said the St. Anne's student. "The camp teaches you different things and it will help you to get better at playing sports." Jessica and more than 70 other kids received the kind of fundamental training in soccer, basketball, swimming and track & field this summer that could stimulate a passion for these sporting disciplines. But the Summer Sports Camp is providing far more than just a three week training ground for athletics, it is teaching campers – between the ages of 8 and 14 – the role that sports can play in good health and the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle.  This is the second year that The College's Athletics Department has hosted the Summer Sports Camp, supported by the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture. COB coaches serve as instructors and are assisted by student athletes. Held on The College's Oakes Field Campus, the camp combines sporting instruction with field trips to make it an interactive, fun-filled and enticing programme for campers. Summer Sports Camp Coordinator Sean Bastian, who heads The College's Men's Basketball Team, noted that many of the kids also form friendships that last beyond the camp. "Summer Sports Camp provides a nurturing, fun and safe environment where young people can explore new interests as well as their favourite sports. It forms new friendships away from the school environment and helps improve athletics skills during the summer months," he said.  In dramatic fashion, a few members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Fire Services Branch, mounted on one of the fire trucks that routinely responds to fire emergencies, rode onto campus. The firefighters taught campers about fire prevention and safety and advised of the importance of smoke detectors and a fire escape plan for each and every home. Next summer, organizers hope to expand what they currently offer and attract even more students to the athletics programme.
Office of Communication |