In a continuing emphasis on the value of community outreach, Aquinas College extends its hands to young people, offering an opportunity for interested student athletes to meet, play alongside and learn from mentors who lead sports camps throughout the summer. Summer 2012 sees the return of many popular camps and talk of expansion in the years to come.

AQ men’s JV basketball head coach Jeffrey Wierzbicki ‘08, who will take part as a leader for this summer’s basketball camps, is enthusiastic about the programs and their potential impact on participants. “I am very excited to help the Aquinas College basketball programs with their summer camp, and we are hoping that the Aquinas community, Grand Rapids community, and areas outside of Grand Rapids see the benefit of coming to a camp with great facilities and great people,” he said. “As this camp evolves from year to year, we feel this camp will be a prominent camp in the state of Michigan.”

Summer basketball camps allow participants to hone their athletics skills, in addition to hearing thoughts from guest speakers excited to share their experiences and knowledge with fresh talent and eager gamers. Areas of camp emphasis include offense and defense, teamwork, and more. This summer will also see the arrival of new elements to the camp experience. “Along with the skills that will be taught, camp members will be walking away with a camp t-shirt, tickets to their choice of basketball games in the upcoming season, an individual skills sheet, and a camp/group photo,” said Wierzbicki.

Soccer camps are also being offered, as conducted by the Aquinas Men’s soccer team. One camp, geared toward grades second through sixth, will focus on deepening player knowledge of the game. An important aspect to keep in mind will be the camp’s emphasis on having fun, a vital part of playing any sport. Aquinas men’s soccer head coach Joe Veal said, “This year we are excited to offer a camp for boys or girls in grades 2-6. We feel it is important to teach fundamental skills to younger players in a fun atmosphere." A second camp, for grades seventh through twelfth, will cater towards scoring and goalkeeping. “Our high school camp is geared to help field players learn to score in as many ways as possible, no matter what position they play,” Veal said.

Another exciting camp opportunity is that of lacrosse. As AQ assistant men’s lacrosse coach Doug Seites ‘10, explained, “This will be the third year that we’ll do it. It started a couple years ago. We do two of them during the summer.” One of these camps is coordinated with the Conductive Learning Center (CLC). “The CLC is a partnership that Aquinas has,” said Seites. “They help treat young kids that have spina bifida and cerebral palsy. It’s a really cool place. There are a great bunch of people that work there, and the kids are all great.” During the camp, which Seites helps lead, participants get active alongside athletes from Notre Dame and the Army.

Aquinas College’s facilities, in particular the new campus athletics opportunities at Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center, are a welcoming environment for the development of personal health, sporting events, team practice, and more. With Phase I of the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center complete, the College looks towards Phase II of the project, which will add additional track and field space for students anticipating the possibility of camps in those areas.

Summer sports camps are a great place for young people, athletes of all kinds and from many backgrounds, to discover the joy of personal health and fitness, learn the valuable lessons of teamwork and perseverance, and build connections with others from the College and the wider community.