The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THEY’RE not just a summer camp. Instead, the College of the Bahamas offers a four-sport discipline for youngsters to engage in during their month-long programme at their facility in Oakes Field.

According to camp director Sean Bastian, the eighth annual COB Summer Sports Camp will be held for boys and girls aged 8 to 13 June 22 to July 17.

It’s designed for the participants to learn the basic skills in basketball, soccer, track and field and swimming. They will also have access to the Wellness Centre.

“The objective of the camp is to teach the fundamentals in basketball, track and field, soccer and swimming, while providing leadership skills training,” Bastian said. “The camp consists of age appropriate skill based instructions and will promote sportsmanship, leadership, team work and self confidence.

“With the skill training after four weeks, I can guarantee you that you will see your child’s skills improve in basketball, track and field, soccer and swimming. We focus on four and we allow them to learn their skills in a safe environment on our college campus.”

On a daily basis, Bastian said every hour, the participants will rotate from one discipline to the next so that they get a chance to go through the skills of all of the sports. Also, the instructors take the participants on a tour of the entire campus, including the bookstore, cafeteria and classrooms so they get to experience a college environment.

“I think parents should really consider COB Summer Sports Camp because the kid will get a first hand view of our facility and so when they graduate from high school, they will look at the College of the Bahamas as their first choice,” he said. “It’s a good fit for parents to look at it from that perspective because they would have gotten an early start by attending the camp.”

Over the years, Bastian said he has seen a number of participants join the college as students and they got a good head start by attending the camp. Bastian said there’s a possibility that some of the participants can eventually earn athletic scholarships to COB as others have done in the past.

“We want them to be comfortable and see COB as a first choice,” said Bastian, who serves as the assistant athletic director at COB. “We’re different because we offer four different disciplines, unlike the other camps that only focus on one or two disciplines.”

The camp, according to Bastian, has some of the top instructors in the country like former female national team player and current junior coach Charlene ‘Swish’ Smith.

For those who are wishing to participate in the camp, Bastian advised them to bring their own towels, swim cap and goggles, wear appropriate swim attire, bring a water bottle, bring slippers for the pool area, be sure to pack sunscreen, wear appropriate sporting attire/sneakers daily, bring your own soap or shampoo for pool rinsing, bring a bag lunch or purchase meal and arrive on time at 9am.

And as a precautionary measure, Bastian advised the participants not to:

Bring valuable items like electronic games and cell phones, be respectful to instructors and other campers (no fighting or swearing), run on the deck (no horseplay on deck or in the water), bring food, open drinks or gum in the pool area, hang on to the pool lane lines - they will snap, dive in the pool and no jeans (except to wear on field trips).

Every Wednesday, the campers will be taken on a 2 and-a-half hour field trip to places like Mario’s Bowling and Family Entertainment Center, Galleria Cinema’s and EduCulture Bahamas to get them exposed to other crafts and arts in the Bahamian community.

For those who only want to send their children for one week, there is a cost of just $110. It will be $135 for two weeks, $165 for three weeks and $190 for the full month. The camp also offers an after care programme for $20 per week from 2-5 pm. VAT is included in all of the prices.