The changing face of sports camps

The annual sports camps held around this time of year are moving away from the pure athletics activities, and are incorporating healthy lifestyles and academics components.{{more}}

The annual Grassroot Tennis Club (GTC) Camp, which is into its final week at the club’s base at Murray Road, last week staged nutrition and reading sessions for some of the participants.

Last Thursday, many benefitted from the expertise of Dr. Katherine Manuel, who dealt with nutrition and health, and the importance of having well-nourished bodies as young sportsmen and women.

On Friday, Ugandan Ivan Mbogo, a volunteer from the United Kingdom, spent time with some participants, giving them tips on Reading, on behalf of Jujube bookstore.

Mbogo told SEARCHLIGHT that he thought the exercise was a meaningful one, “as children need to be encouraged to have a basic Reading culture”.

“It is important that children develop that habit when they are young,” Mbogo advised.

Using books which have morals, Mbogo also used the one hour session to help build the participants’ vocabulary.

He expressed the view that sportspersons must see Reading, Writing and Listening as important Literacy skills, as according to him, “You never know where sports will take you around the world.”

The non-Tennis sessions are new to the GTC camp operations and, based on their success, will form integral parts of future camps.

The 2011 camp closes this Friday at 4: 30 p m, but competitive action will be served up on Saturday from 10, with the hosting of the Milo Junior Tennis Tournament.

The one-week tournament will see competition in the Under-6, Under-8, Under-10, Under-12 and Under-14 categories, for both males and females.

The Under-10 category is a St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tennis Association sanctioned category.(RT)