When I was a camper at Camp Takajo, the youth sports curriculum was very basic. Every camper played every sport! There is something very healthy about “cross training” and being able to play multiple sports. No matter what the activity, we were able to work on our footwork, conditioning, hand-eye-coordination, and teamwork. Today, children are being pressured to select a particular sport as their primary focus at a very young age. Many parents are “buying into” the fear that if they don’t sign their child up for these specialty teams for multiple seasons, then their child will most likely not be able to compete at a high school or college level. When professional athletes, like Yankees’ baseball-great Derek Jeter and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady were asked what made them standout athletes, they responded that playing multiple sports during their youth elevated their performance.
Most top athletes that we admire played on basketball, football, and baseball teams through high school. They didn’t commit to their chosen sport until they reached college. Sadly, many boys come to camp and have never learned to throw a baseball or hit a tennis ball properly because parents can’t find the time to expose their children to multiple youth sports. As a parent of two sets of twins, I can totally relate.
I have, on occasion, fallen into this trap, albeit with great resentment. My weekends during the school year are spent traveling to communities hours away from my hometown so that my children can compete in a single game, which has virtually no meaning to their overall growth and development. Do these travel programs really need to host tournaments over Labor Day Weekend? I think many families would like to enjoy one more weekend without travel sports before we have to jump on the merry-go-round that never stops during the school year. And my wife’s favorite: do these leagues really have to schedule games on Mother’s Day? Don’t these moms pay their dues throughout the year? I can’t help but think that the bright, ambitious boys that attend Takajo have a better chance of owning a professional team than playing on one.
A few years ago, we introduced a program at camp that brings incredible coaches to camp and allows our campers the opportunity to opt-out of their regular program so they can specialize in the sport of their choice. This week, coach Michael Turtle of Soccer Specific Training arrived for his fifth consecutive summer to run soccer clinics for boys of all ages and ability levels. For the next week, every camper will have the opportunity to work with Mike to develop his soccer skills.
Whether a child has never played the game or has the aspiration to play with his travel team in the fall, coach Mike has the talent and patience to elevate every camper’s game. Each day, we make announcements encouraging all of our boys to participate.
In just a few days, Jordan Baltimore, owner of New York Empire Baseball, will join us to offer similar clinics to campers who would like to develop their skills in baseball. We will also have Drew Adams, who plays professional lacrosse for the New York Lizards, coming in about a week’s time. While we are very proud of our well-balanced program and believe that children will grow to become better athletes if they play multiple sports, bringing in these professional coaches helps us to meet the needs of those looking to take their game to the next level.
