Skyhawks to host sport camps for area youth

The amount of recreational activities offered in Ritzville is expanding as the Adams County Park and Recreation Department is working with Skyhawks Sports Academy to host a variety of sport camps this summer.

In an effort to provide additional sporting options to area children ages four through 12, Park and Rec Chairman Marie Borth and Co-Chairman Andee Heider stated the camps will be healthy and productive activities for kids to participate in during the summer.

Heider said the city first approached the Board about hosting the Skyhawks camps in order to provide area youth with additional activities throughout the summer.

After taking strides to promote local youth activities such as the city pool sessions, Heider thought the camps would be successful and she invited Skyhawks to speak to the Board about their services.

Andrew Chatman, Area Manager for the Eastern Washington and Montana Skyhawks, gave a presentation at the Board’s meeting about the details of the camps available to host.

Heider said many of the Board members have children in the four through 12 age range and they all agreed the camps would be fun activities for the youth of the community.

The Board selected Heider to oversee the planning for the camps because of her experience in recreational management. Borth said as a parent, she is excited for the camps because she believes they are a constructive activity for youth in the summer.

Living in a rural area can be difficult for young children because of the lack of recreational programs, she explained. The camps will allow youths to be active throughout the summer and also create new friendships, she added.

After moving to Ritzville from a small island in Hawaii, Heider said the lack of a recreational program in the city surprised her. She joined the Board to assist in expanding and maintaining the activities offered in the city.

Heider began working with Skyhawks after Chatman’s presentation to start planning the details of the camps. She stated Skyhawks is a very reputable and reliable company to work with as they are providing all of the equipment needed for the camps.

The Board’s only responsibilities are to acquire the facilities and promote the camps, she added.

The Lind-Ritzville Cooperative Schools has granted the Board permission to use the school’s recreational facilities, she explained.

Heider said the Board selected multiple sports the schools do not offer to provide a variety of selections to youths. Many parents are forced to drive to surrounding larger cities for their kids to participate in sports not offered locally, she added.

Heider said the Board has received many positive comments about the camps after they posted the details on Facebook. They have been promoting the camps by posting online and handing out fliers, she explained.

They have already had multiple parents register their children for the camps and she expects the camps to be well attended. If the camps are successful this year, Heider said the Board will work with Skyhawks about continuing them next summer and look into adding sports as well.

The sport camps being offered are soccer, baseball, basketball, cheerleading, flag football and dodgeball. Parents will be able to select a half-day or full day option for their children.

The full day option will consist of the sport camp in the morning, followed by lunch and a swimming pool session to end the day. Heider said the school facilities are a great location for the camps because they are in walking distance to the pool.

For those who selected the half-day option, Heider said parents will be expected to pick up their kids directly after the sport camp.

The cost of the full-day option is $119 per child and $99 for a half-day. Heider said the Board understands this may be expensive for some families and they are offering scholarships for low-income families through the pool.

The money for the scholarships comes from donations they receive, said Borth.

“We want people to participate but we want to make it affordable,” Heider explained.

Families interested in receiving assistance for the camps can contact the Board about the scholarships or ask for an application via email at [email protected].

Community members can donate to assisting families for the camps by sending a check to P.O. Box 251 in Ritzville and noting the donation is for the Skyhawks camps on the check, Borth explained.

Heider said Skyhawks is also willing to reduce the fees for families with three or more children participating in the camps.

Families with multiple children are asked to call Skyhawks at 800-804-3509 to register and discuss costs.

The Board will benefit financially from the camp by receiving 10 percent of the proceeds to go towards the special program fund. Heider said the money will be used to fund next year’s camps.

The camps will begin at 9 a.m. with pick up at 12 p.m. for half-day participants and 3 p.m. pick-up for those attending the full day. The first camp will begin on June 26 and it is a soccer camp for kids ages six through 12.

The second week of camps will be a mini-hawk camp for kids ages four through seven. The half-day mini-camp will consist of soccer, baseball and basketball.

The third week will be a cheerleading camp beginning July 21 for kids ages six through 12. The week will conclude with a choreographed performance.

Basketball camp will begin on July 24 and it is designed for beginning to intermediate to learn the basic fundamentals of the game.

The final week of camps will be a multi-sport camp starting on Aug. 7 and it will consist of baseball, flag football and dodgeball. Participants will learn the rules and essentials of each sport through skill-based games and scrimmages.

As part of the camp, each participant will receive merchandise courtesy of Skyhawks relating to the sport camp they attended.

To register for the camps, visit http://www.skyhawks.com and payment will be required upon registration.

Heider urged residents to register soon due to limited spaces available for each camp.