It was unusually cold and gloomy for an August day at the Victory Hills golf course in Blaine, but the campers in the Active Kids Association (AKA) Sports Camp shone bright with loads of energy and positive, encouraging words for one another as they all hoped for a hole-in-one.
High fives were given when a girl in a pink shirt with a coordinating pink golf bag shouts, “I got a bogey!” Near the beginning of the golf course, the younger kids, about five- to seven-years-old were playing a round of golf baseball. “Keep up the good work!” says one of the instructors near the end of the game. A boy in center field followed and tells his teammates and friends, “Yeah! Keep it up!”
AKA Sports Camp doesn’t just teach golf, however. Football, ice skating, lacrosse, archery, and soccer are just a sample of the sports played throughout the 12-week summer day camp.
Always on-the-go
Each week has a different theme and a different sport or set of sports attached to it. For example, during the week that campers are on the ice in the Schwan Super Rink they learn the basics of skating, and then they have a chance to play hockey and broomball. Every week there is also a field trip included in the cost of camp. During basketball week the kids attended a Minnesota Lynx game at Target Center, and during outdoor recreation week, they enjoyed a hiking/canoeing trip in the Taylor’s Falls area.
Playing different sports and going on different field trips each week keeps kids from getting bored and offers a chance to learn something new. Campers learn even more through the Wise Kids program created by the Säjai Foundation. Each Wednesday, a new Wise Kids informational activity booklet is given to the campers.
“There’s a new health topic each week; from learning about the body, the heart, and general health. This is great for the kids to influence them to make healthy decisions,” says lead coach Dave Frasier.
The campers are kept so busy and have so much fun that they don’t even realize they are learning along the way. After a morning of golfing on the 18-hole golf course or playing golf baseball, the kids were split into age groups to have a break time—one group took a lunch period, and the other group had free time. It wasn’t the kind of free time you might expect to see, though. Some kids stretched out on blankets. Others sat alone to read. Some of the young boys who tried wrestling on the golf course earlier were now sitting in a circle, playing cards. Kids to tend to calm down and relax after a full day of activity.
“That’s something that parents love,” says Chris Schulz, director and founder of AKA Sports. “I’ve had parents tell me that their kids go home at night and fall right to sleep. We have one of the most active programs out there.”
The facilities help, too. The National Sports Center in Blaine is home to the largest soccer complex in the world, the massive eight-rink Schwan Super Rink, Victory Hills Golf Course, stadium, and sports hall.
It’s not just about sports
Most sports camps are for athletes; they are for the kids who are dedicated to only one sport and want to become the very best at it by advancing their skills. At AKA Sports Camp, while kids are given lessons for the sport that they are concentrating on for that particular week, Schulz says that the focus of the camp is about fun.
“We are not a competitive, advancing camp, and there is no focus on being the best. We need to re-teach people that kids just need to play,” says Schulz.
And these kids certainly do play! Plus, with play comes social interaction and lessons in communication, teamwork, and social skills. “There are kids that come to camp who are really shy, but soon they make friends and know everyone’s name,” says Frasier.
Schulz also added that the kids are kept so busy, they don’t even have time to worry about making friends because one of the best ways to do so is by team building through sports.
When asked what his favorite part about camp was, Bryce, seven years old, says, “I just like having fun playing with all my friends.” Another little boy snuck up behind him saying, “Like me! I’m his friend!” And then they ran off to finish eating lunch together.
Some of the campers aren’t even sports enthusiasts when they first come to camp, but they soon find how fun sports can be. “It gets them out of their comfort zone,” says Frasier. “Because we play the sports on such a basic level, anyone can do them.”
Brooke, 11-years-old, says there are some sports she had to play that she originally didn’t like, but then she adds, “you get used to it and then it actually gets more fun!”
Back on the golf course, the younger kids were wrapping up their game of golf baseball. There was a runner on third base, hoping to make it to home plate to score one more point. The batter hit the ball. The runner accelerated and gained enough speed to slide on the grass and touch home plate, but he was too late and was called out. As he walked away, he didn’t concentrate on getting out, rather he exclaimed, “Did you see how awesome that slide was? So cool, man!”
