Tag: sports camp

The Weequahic Football League

January 30th, 2014

Watch out NFL…. The WFL is right behind you in popularity and about to take over! As football fever reaches the highest pitch with the upcoming Super Bowl, we are reminded of all the fun we have at Camp Weequahic while playing flag football.

Much like our very popular Weequahic Basketball League, campers are divided into teams of equal ability, gender and age groups. Boys and many girls love flying around the fields running, catching, avoiding and ‘tackling’ (pulling the flags) for at least one period a day. Our coaches are collegiate athletes who love to develop drills, plays, and practices that increase our campers’ understanding and enjoyment of the game each time they arrive at the field.

Campers who have never played the game are just as likely to love being a part of the flag football program. Whether they are learning the basics and practicing their new found skills in the flag football ‘class’ activity, competing with the SEC Dragons or the Big Ten Demons of the WFL, or representing Weequahic on our Wayne County Flag Football team, the campers do their best and have a blast.

What is the Wayne County team, you ask? It is just another one of our many competitive and completely volunteer teams that plays against 26 other camps in Wayne County, PA. Campers of any ability are welcome We compete across all ages and the kids love to play!

We hope you’ll come out to play with us this summer!

The Weequahic Basketball League

December 16th, 2013

Many camp families ask the question, “Are you a competitive camp?” With over 50 activities from which to choose, we happily respond, ‘If a child wants to compete, they can. If not, it’s not expected of them.” For those who like to compete we have many options both on and off camp. The most lively of these options continued to be the Weequahic Basketball League.

Founded in 2010, the WBL allows campers who love to play and compete the chance to do so often. Divided up among equal teams by age group and skill level, our Ballers get the opportunity to test their teamwork and skill against other teams during a regular activity period. Run by our Athletics Director and Head of Basketball, kids who love the game get enjoy the opportunity for some friendly competition on the courts.

Starting with the NBA style draft during which the coaches pick teams, the WBL begins in style. After a few practices, during which the campers pick their own team names, the games begin. Near the end of the session, the teams participate in the WBL Finals. This single elimination tournament is hotly (and fairly) contested by all teams and culminates in the final game which the entire camp gets to watch.

During the games, campers not playing get to run the scoreboards, practice their on court interviews and play by play announcing, and, for the older kids, get some experience as assistant coaches.

Campers of all skill levels and ages who want to be a part of a basketball team get to be so. And, surrounded by a great staff and supportive friends, they learn and play and enjoy the game!

Re-asserting the “Team” in Team Sports

April 28th, 2012

Whether your family lives in a large city or a small town, there is likely not a shortage of organized sports  for children. Increasingly, the emphasis of team sports is less about what it means to be a member of a team and more about being the MVP of a winning team.   As a result, child athletes are often caught between sparring parents on one sideline and anxious, screaming coaches on the other.  Overly zealous parents and coaches seldom stop to consider that children often absorb their parents’ feelings and may project the resulting tension through their play.  The immense pressure to be a star who constantly wins is often why many children become burnt-out in the competitive sports environment and choose to take a break or even quit altogether.  Says Fred Engh, author of Why Johnny Hates Sports, “If all the focus is on winning, kids may be scared to fail and make mistakes. Mistakes are part of the learning process and it’s how one improves.”  One of the most undervalued benefits of team sports at traditional American summer camps is the environment that allows children to make mistakes without fear of backlash from the sidelines and to process those mistakes in a way that they can turn them into learning experiences.

Setting up children for success requires a welcoming environment in which they can feel comfortable being themselves.    Those who tend to be self-conscious are particularly challenged by situations in which tension runs high.  The spirit of camp is one of instruction, fun and safety more than competition.  It’s about making children feel like a valuable part of a unit that utilizes everyone’s talents in a way that is beneficial.  In short, the traditional summer camp environment is a team environment.   At camp, children have the encouragement of their counselors and fellow campers when playing sports.  A child making a layup shot on the basketball court for the first time is cheered just as much as someone scoring a winning three pointer.

Perhaps the relaxed positive reinforcement they receive while learning to play sports at camp is why so many children (as many as 60%) feel compelled to continue being active in an activity they tried for the first time at camp.