The Harrison Township Recreation Commission is teaming with USA Sports to host a week-long, multi-sport summer camp for kids from 5 to 12 in July.
Dates and times are Monday through Friday, July 21 to 25, at Ella Harris Park. Hours will be 9 a.m. to noon each day. Camp registration with a fee has recently opened on the USA Sports website.
“We did it last year and we decided to bring it back this year,” said recreation coordinator Sharon Chew. “What we like is that it gives kids the chance to try out different sports without having to fully commit to a season. A lot of kids want to do a sport, but don’t want to commit to a season.”
The camp will explore 10 sports. Not all have been revealed but five featured prominently on the USA Sports website are soccer; lacrosse; flag football; handball; and pillow polo, a type of field hockey. Play rules will be explored by a group of professional coaches who will also explain to campers the skills and techniques required to compete in each sport. Scrimmages, activities and competitions will take place throughout the week.
On top of introducing kids to a variety of sports, the camp will also teach the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship, as well as focus on the development of coordination, balance, agility and speed.
The partnership between USA Sports and Harrison’s recreation department is one that goes back close to 20 years, according to Chew, with the camp borne of interest in a toddler program.
“We specifically chose the multi-sports program in order to bring in as many kids as possible,” Chew explained. “We stopped doing it for a while as we learned other camps and because of COVID. We eventually had a big interest for a toddler program, and I reached out to USA Sports about doing something.
“Sometimes you need to take a break in order to reenergize things.”
All equipment for the camp will be provided by USA Sports; the organization will also provide a free shirt.
“This camp,” Chew noted, “sometimes helps them (kids) decide if, when they’re older, they want to plug into a certain sport or team.”
