Camp Program Introduces Teen Leaders to New Sports

The girls playing handball at a Cal State Northridge gym Friday morning seemed like confident, seasoned players, even though they had discovered the sport only two days before.

They were among 140 youths, ages 13 to 18, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, who spent the past three days at CSUN for a Nike Sports Leadership Camp.

The program focuses on less popular sports to broaden its appeal to kids who may be less skilled in basketball or baseball, said Tim Richardson, director of sports with the Boys & Girls Clubs in Atlanta.

The handball players, all Boys & Girls Club members with leadership qualities, are now expected to be able to teach handball and other nontraditional sports to fellow athletes at their clubs around the West.

“If they don’t learn enough to teach it back, what’s the point?” Richardson said.

Many of the athletes found themselves playing sports they had never played, like lacrosse, field hockey, rugby and ultimate Frisbee.

“I learned to not be afraid to try something new,” said Sandra Perez, program director of the Boys & Girls Club in Pacoima. “I found myself loving the games and wanting to play them more and more in my free time.”

The participants had to perform at least 25 hours of community service to take part in the camp. Each player paid $75, covering their lodging and food costs. They raised the funds for their transportation costs.

Robert De Los Santos, 18, of Camarillo, said he washed cars and sold raffle tickets to raise the money to attend. Although skilled in soccer and basketball, he had never played tennis. “No one figured I’d be good at tennis. I had never picked up a racket,” he said. “There’s a sport out there for everybody, no matter what gender or size.”

And the challenges of learning the sports led the teammates to bond. “We thought we were going to compete. It kind of humbled all of us,” De Los Santos said.

Yet it was not all physical exercise for the participants. The athletes also attended lectures about colleges, stereotypes and careers in sports.

Winning is not the main thing either, because all the athletes were awarded gold and silver medals at the end of the camp. The campers at CSUN stayed at dorms and had meals with college students.

“You learn something new from them, how their hometowns differ from ours,” said Perez, 25.

Richardson said sports is a good way to hook kids in before asking them to think about their futures.

“I don’t think there are enough kids dreaming of college and how to go there,” he said. “It expands what you think is possible.”