Rice summer camps host area kids

Rice summer camps host area kids

BY FRANZ BROTZEN
Rice News staff

Rice greets fresh, young faces every new school year. But in summer, those faces are even fresher and younger than the undergraduates who make Rice their home from August through May.

Hundreds of kids take part in summer camps on the Rice campus. They swim, play tennis, golf, soccer, basketball and many other sports in several programs that are open to the public. It’s a way for community members to get to know Rice and for kids to enjoy Rice’s athletic facilities at a time when many are not being used.

JEFF FITLOW

Above, a camper makes a jump shot. Below, campers practice basketball drills.

The summer activities are actually two separate programs: the Rice Recreation Center’s Summer Youth Activity Program and the Rice Athletic Department’s individual sport programs.

Rec Center programs include kids from 6-11 years old, while the Athletic Department’s programs hosts children as young as 4 and as old as 18. Neither program has any problem attracting participants.

Making a summer tradition

Tina Villard, director of the summer program, said many campers come back year after year. In the seven years she has been here, Villard said, she has seen some of the kids come into the program at 6 and return for the next five summers.

The Rec Center has also launched a counselor-in-training program, in which teens ages 13-16 assist the regular counselors (half of whom are Rice students).

These junior counselors “learn how to talk to the kids, how to relate to them,” Villard said. “Our goal is to shape them into young adults.”

Individual sports camps are run by Athletic Department coaches with sessions for baseball, basketball, football, tennis, soccer and volleyball. Some are mini-camps that focus on one particular skill, like volleyball setting or serving, and last only one morning. Others are full-day camps that continue for a week.

Unlike the individual sport programs, Rec Center camps expose children to a wide array of activities. One morning they may play tennis, basketball or golf, followed by an afternoon swim. Archery was added this year. Outdoor activities are limited to the morning hours, due to the Houston heat.

Since only about one third of the Rec Center campers are children of Rice faculty and staff, there are quite a few openings for exposing non-Rice families to the university. “Members of the community like to get on campus,” Villard said. “It’s a good opportunity for them to see what goes on here.”
 
Broadening awareness of Rice

JEFF FITLOW

Above, a young camper practices swimming with the aid of an instructor and a flotation device. Below, a camper takes a breather from swimming laps.

The accomplishments of the Rice men’s baseball team might have helped to generate publicity for the summer baseball camps. But that applies to other sports as well. Rice teams have gone to NCAA tournaments in volleyball, tennis, soccer and basketball in recent years, and the Owls football team went to their first post-season bowl game in 45 years last December.

“Success on a national level broadens the awareness of Rice University, not just locally, but regionally and nationally,” said Huston. “One of the things athletics can do is promote awareness of the university that may not have been there otherwise.”

That awareness is evident to Huston in her efforts to bring new talent to the Rice soccer program. In the past, “30 percent of the recruits I called had no idea where Rice was,” she explained. “Now we have 400 kids contacting us — interested in playing for us.”

The summer camps play a role in promoting Rice as well. “Every year, we’ve gotten an athlete [for the Rice women’s soccer team] from the camp,” Huston said.

Jessica Ross came from California two years ago to attend a soccer summer camp and she just finished her freshman year as a scholarship athlete. Catherine Fitzsimmons attended a camp last year and will be a freshman goalkeeper this fall.

“The camps are a big recruiting tool for us,” Huston said.

Some Rice student athletes assist with the summer camps, forming bonds that benefit Rice. “Girls come back to watch our soccer players at games,” said Huston. “It helps build our fan support base during the season.”

Selling out fast

The Rec Center program has developed a loyal following without advertising.

“In the seven years I’ve been here,” said Villard, “it’s always been word of mouth.”

The Rec Center program hosts 92 campers each of its four, two-week terms: 46 in the 6-8 year old group and 46 in the 9-11 age group. This year, all the spots were filled two-and-a-half weeks after registration opened.

The campers’ numbers are growing too. Last year, for instance, the soccer program hosted 813 kids; this year, the figure is close to 1,000, said Chris Huston, head coach of Rice women’s soccer and director of the summer soccer program.

The baseball program has six weeks of camps between June 11 and July 19 with room for 160 kids per week. All are sold out, according to Patty Barnes, assistant sports information director with the Athletics Department.

Villard explained the program’s goal as striving “to offer the youngest of the Houston community opportunities to expand their recreation boundaries in the comfort of Rice’s own backyard.”

For more on the Rec Center Summer Youth Activity Program, go to http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~ricerec/syap/index.html.

Details on all of the camps from the athletics department are available at http://riceowls.cstv.com/camps/rice-camps.html