As we enter the third week of camp, we allow the boys to step away from their normal routines and get extra instruction in some of our land sports. This week at Takajo, our boys have the opportunity to concentrate on baseball and lacrosse.
For many years, we have partnered with Empire Baseball in New York City (www.newyorkempirebaseball.org), a well-known program that runs competitive leagues and also offers individual instruction to many of our families who live in the New York City area. One of their stand-out coaches, Omari Hill, comes to Takajo each summer for a week to train our boys.
Omari is running clinics starting after breakfast, and he remains on the field until we lose daylight. Each age group has the opportunity to opt out of their normal schedules and train with Omari. He’s had our boys in the batting cage, helped many work on their pitching motion, and has given great tips on fielding and throwing. In the last few evenings, Omari has organized seven-inning baseball games for our most committed players.
Bear Davis has an extensive resume in lacrosse but gained his love of the sport many years ago when he was a counselor at Camp Takajo. After a short stint with us, Bear went on to coach at Robert Morris University (D1) as well as becoming the general manager and head coach of the Ohio Machine in Major League Lacrosse.
Also visiting this week is ex-camper Kyle Morris. Kyle is a sophomore at the University of Virginia, where he is the starting goalie and led his team to the Final Four in college lacrosse after beating Johns Hopkins University in overtime.
These elite coaches are working with our staff to give boys of all ability levels the opportunity to be their best.
Later this week, legendary soccer coach Mike Turtle from Soccer Specific Training in New Jersey, the state’s premier soccer academy, will join us for a week to give those who want to specialize in soccer the opportunity to train.
We recognize that there are many options for boys during the summer and that local programs are putting significant pressure on their players in the community to stay home. By offering this higher level of training in combination with the excellent coaching by our counselors, we believe we are providing the environment for our boys to perfect their skills.
