Summer camp offers life lessons

Just because the school year is drawing to a close does not mean the end of organized activities for young people. A day camp with something for everybody could be closer than many realize.

And camp is a great way to get children away from the glare of television, said Edith Benavides, director of the Boys and Girls Club of Yuma.

"Camp gives kids the chance to have opportunities they wouldn't ordinarily have," Benavides said.

The Boys and Girls Club summer day camp begins June 16 and runs through the first week of August. It is a coed camp for ages 5 to 12 and operates Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1100 S. 13th Ave.

Registration is available on a continuous basis. The fee is $12 a day for the first child and $10 a day for a family's each additional child.

The camp provides breakfast and lunch through Yuma Elementary School District 1, and campers go swimming twice a week at Marcus Pool. Field trips include movie theaters, a camel farm and a chance to see the ducks at the Yuma Conservation Garden.

A game room provides billiards, table tennis and foosball tables as well as board games such as Scrabble or Monopoly. Arts and crafts classes present opportunities for coloring, sewing or learning to cook items such as cupcakes, spaghetti or burritos.

"It's easy things they can learn on their own, and whatever they cook they can eat here," Benavides said.

A gymnasium with a basketball court is used for Pin Guard, the club's version of dodgeball that is safer, Benavides noted.

"We have a soccer field and a playground. But usually they like to play chase and go down slides."

The club recently received a grant from the Boys and Girls Club of America. For the remainder of the year, the children of active-duty military personnel will be able to attend the 13th Avenue site for free between 2 and 6 p.m.

Z93 news director Jennifer Blackwell's 10-year-old son, Jace, has attended the day camp for three years. Since her son is an only child, it is a great way for him to interact with other children. She also said she loves the fact there is a gym so children can stay cool and still get exercise.

"Edith is awesome and gets behind the kids," Blackwell said of director Benavides. "And since she went to the camp as a child, it just shows what a good program it is for children."

What stands out most for Jace is the chance to meet new people outside of his own school.

"I love hanging out with my friends. I'm never bored."

Along with Pin Guard and basketball, Jace said, he likes to play foosball and air hockey. But the best thing about summer is the friendship he forged with Brandon Burdick, whom he met at camp and who shares Jace's enthusiasm for pocket billiards and video games.

According to the American Camp Association (ACA), camp is not only fun but a chance to learn leadership skills. And young adults who work as counselors get the chance to have a positive influence on children and to earn summer pay.

The ACA is an organization of camp professionals that works to improve the camp experience by accrediting more than 2,400 camps in the United States. Accredited camps meet 300 standards for health and safety.

Every child should have the opportunity to attend a camp, Ann Sheets, past president of ACA, told The Sun by phone from Houston. "Camp is the safe way for children to be with nature."

Children in recent years have drifted away from the Boy or Girl Scouts that typically have strong outdoor programs. And the media have led people to believe that outdoors is far more dangerous than it really is, Sheets noted.

"Too many times it's not the kids who don't want to go out but it's their parents who don't want to let them outside," she said. "Camp teaches them to be good stewards for the environment."

The ACA Web site is a good place to start to learn about camp, said Tim Magill, Orme Ranch Camp director, in a phone interview with The Sun. Orme Ranch is a horsemanship camp halfway between Flagstaff and Phoenix where campers can ride every day but includes a traditional overnight camp program. Orme has been accredited by the ACA, he noted.

"I would not send my daughter to camp that didn't have that accreditation," Magill said.

Children at Orme will be tremendously supported by staff, said Magill, and it should be an opportunity for challenging tasks such as saddling a horse for the first time or diving for the first time.

"Kids in school are reticent to try new activities, but in camp they're more encouraged to experiment and not be ridiculed."

Orme Ranch has four two-week sessions for campers beginning June 16 and ending Aug. 10. Reservations are available until June 10. Registration can be accessed online at www.ormecamp.org.

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William Roller can be reached at wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.