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Cottonwood Heights Journal

Kids Experience Different Sports at Super Sport Summer Camp

Jul 29, 2016 08:42AM ● By Kelly Cannon

By Kelly Cannon | [email protected]


Cottonwood Heights, Utah - Cottonwood Heights kids are enjoying a variety of different sports thank to the Super Sports Summer Camps. Hosted by the Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center, this is the second year the program has been at the recreation center, though the program has been available at several other facilities for several years.

The camp is based on introducing different sports to kids in grades one through six.

“They’ll take on a little bit of everything during the summer, including but not limited to soccer, basketball, flag football, baseball — with wiffle balls and plastic bat — kickball, dodgeball, tennis, pickleball and even some dancing and gymnastics and tumbling,” Warren Hallmark, the program manager at the Parks and Recreation Department of Cottonwood Heights, said.

The camp runs from 10:45 a.m. to 2:24 p.m. and starts with one of the sports. The first- through third-graders do one activity while the fourth- through sixth-graders do another. Afterward, the two groups switch. After lunch, the campers end each day either swimming or ice skating.

“Aside from either ice skating or swimming each day, the idea is that they don’t do the same ‘sporting’ activity within the same week,” Hallmark said. “The activities are set for the entire summer for parents’ reference, but may change due to weather or other extenuating circumstances.”

This year, more sports have been added, as well as staff. The grouping of campers also changed to be more accommodating.

“Last year the kids were separated into age groups, but we did all activities together,” Hallmark said. “This year we have them separated as much as we can help it due to several requests from parents, i.e., they didn’t want their younger kids getting pelted in dodgeball by the older kids or wanted to ensure that they would be with their friends or had the opportunity to make friends their age.”

The idea for the camp came from the previous program manager, Heidi Summers. She came from a different facility where the Super Sport camp was very successful.

“She felt there was a need and created the opportunity based on her experience,” Hallmark said.

Unlike other sports camps occurring during the summer, Super Sport doesn’t have a heavy focus on technique or practicing and those aspects are not actually planned as part of each sport.

“Counselors are encouraged to just get the kids active and participating in the respective activity and instruction and/or coaching happens if necessary,” Hallmark said.

The supervisors of the camp are typically college-aged adults and the rest of the staff are usually local high school students.

“Although we utilize the assistance of ice-skating pros in the ice rink and lifeguards in the swimming pool, our counselors are responsible for the immediate supervision and care of all campers at all times during each day, during each activity,” Hallmark said.

The camps cost $12 a day or $50 a week and run Monday through Friday. Hallmark said the money from enrollment goes right back into the programming department, specifically program costs, but also to help other youth programs such as tennis and flag football.

Roughly 45 kids per day are accepted each day and, while some kids are repeats for several days, about 2,250 kids participate in the camps by the end of summer.

Hallmark said the program has been generally successful.

“As with any program, there are hiccups along the way but Super Sport regularly receives positive feedback,” Hallmark said. “Last summer we offered around 40 spots a day and it regularly maxed out. We actually increased the availability for this summer and it maxes out, or gets close to it all the same.”

To learn more about Super Sport and other programs offered by the Cottonwood Heights Parks and Recreation Department, visit cottonwoodheights.com..