Terry Myers has been involved with youth at the borough community center for 17 years, starting with school district CER programs.
During that time, he’s worked with children from pre-K to sixth grade, and later became coach of the boys’ basketball team at Berlin Community School.
“I coach from fifth grade to eighth grade,” Myers explained, “so I got to walk through the hallways and know all the faces by just doing those two things. And 17 years later, we’re doing a lot more CER classes. Ever since I started doing work for the community center, we’ve had camps.
“Kids get to (participate) in open play,” he added. “Town ball is in here all the time.”
The school district’s fall CER program includes Dungeons & Dragons, art clubs, Soccer Shots, Tiger Schulmann’s martial arts, Swifties 4 Ever, the Good News Club, cheerleading and basketball. Weekly AA meetings are also held at the center all year.
While many residents are away during summer, there are plenty of young children and teens who still utilize the center’s programs during the week.
“There are young adults that play on different nights for pickup basketball,” Myers noted. “There are different companies that come in and rent the facility. I just put together things and events for the community to take part in, and I’ve got a lot of stuff to plan for this year.”
Once or twice a year, 20 to 40 children from Berlin and Voorhees are able to play at the Sixers’ arena in Philadelphia.
A summer sports camp for children in grades two to eight will take place over four days from Monday through Thursday, Aug. 17 to 20. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A four-day basketball camp for kids in the same grades will be held Monday through Thursday, Aug. 24 to 27, at the same time.
Camp Long-A-Coming is already underway and continues until Aug. 13 from 9 a.m. to noon. There are also four- and six-week options that offer STEAM and field trips, as well as tie-dye, bowling and Camp Olympics.
To learn more about Camp Long-A-Coming, email info@berlinnj.org. For more info on upcoming events at the Berlin Community Center, visit the borough website.
