The All-Sports Camp at Live Oak High School, where the number one rule is to have fun, lets children take a swing at approximately 12 sports and activities. Campers play sports such as tennis and hockey; learn about nutrition; the importance of work and school; and participate in dance competitions and award ceremonies.
The five-day All-Sports camp occurs three times during the summer from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at LOHS. More than 100 boys and girls ages six to 13 show up for each camp. The next All-Sports camp starts July 15 and is open to online pre-registration or walk-ups and costs $150.
“Live Oak Sports Camps has a fun, safe atmosphere so parents don’t have to worry (about their kids) between dropping them off at 8:30 a.m. and picking them up at 3:30 a.m.,” said Camp Coordinator Mark Cummins, adding that the recreational outlet is a great way for children to get outside, be active and learn different sports. “Kids need to be active so they aren’t sitting around all day playing video games.”
Cummins said the All-Sports camp is unique because it allows campers to sample an array of different sports. Dabbling in a variety of athletic activities is also good for dexterity and development, he added.
“At their age, we don’t want kids to specialize (with one sport) because the more sports they try, the more athletic they will become,” Cummins said. “Also, trying new sports can expose them to new things they like.”
Three-time camp attendee Kaile Itow, 6, said the camp is a fun way to meet friends and improve her athletic ability.
“You get stronger by the sports and make friends,” she said. “My favorite sports we’ve done are basketball, tennis, running, softball and swimming.”
Kaile said she likes her counselor, Sarah Locarnini, 22, because she is a softball player and has helped Kaile become better at the game.
Locarnini, like most camp counselors, is an LOHS alumna and an athlete. Nearly all of the counselors are current LOHS students, alumni or coaches.
“We have a long waiting list for being a camp counselor because it is a fun and rewarding job,” Cummins said.
Boy’s counselor and LOHS alumnus Joe Forestieri, 20, said the camp allows him to mentor young athletes in sports that he played during high school, such as baseball. Forestieri, who attended the camps as a teen, said he enjoys helping campers become better athletes and students through the camp’s 9 a.m. talks, which cover topics such as sportsmanship, nutrition, caring for injuries and the importance of school and a positive attitude.
The team at Live Oak Sports Camps has helped foster athletic ability, sportsmanship and character in South Valley’s youth for 27 years, Cummins said. On average, 150 children attend each All-Sports camp.
