'Excitement and energy': summer sport camps build a tradition of community and engagement
Green & Gold Summer Camps introduce thousands of kids to the U of A each year — and some will become students, athletes and coaches who continue a legacy of healthy development and fun.
August 25, 2023 By Connor Hood
The U of A's Green & Gold Summer Camps bring thousands of youngsters to the university every year to have fun while learning lifelong sport and leadership skills. (Photo: Connor Hood)
On Kim Hertlein’s first day as a camp coach for the Green & Gold Summer Camps, she felt the sense of excitement to her core.
As it has been for the past 30 years, the first day of the University of Alberta summer camps are like a bottle of pure elation ready to burst — along with a bit of anxiousness.
For many, including Hertlein’s brothers, their first time stepping on campus is as a summer camp participant. The same is true for most of the 4,300 kids registered this summer to take part in 13 sport and skill camps.
Hertlein is one of a very small group of people who coached in summer camps as a U of A student, spent five years competing as a varsity athlete and now have their kids participating in summer camps.
Watching my kids participate in the camps brings me a lot of joy and brings back so many great memories. I am proud to be a U of A graduate, and it's great to see that my kids are part of this tradition now.
Kim Hertlein
(Photo: Kelly Haggstrom)
“My favourite part about coaching the summer sports camps was the excitement and energy the kids brought to camp each day,” says Hertlein, who was a member of the Pandas basketball team from 1994 to 2000 and won a national championship with the team in 1999.
“We had friendly rivalries among the different groups of campers and coaches, and the mini-competitions were always so much fun.”
This summer was the first chance she had to register her kids for the camps, with the COVID-19 pandemic delaying their debuts. Liam, 10, and Kiana, 9, are participating in a full slate of camps including volleyball, hockey, basketball and “rec mix,” which features a combination of sports, games and crafts.
“Watching my kids participate in the camps brings me a lot of joy and brings back so many great memories,” says Hertlein. “I am proud to be a U of A graduate, and it's great to see that my kids are part of this tradition now.”
From the grassroots to the big leagues
Operating under the umbrella of Golden Bears & Pandas Athletics, the Green & Gold Sport System takes a co-ordinated approach to developing athletes from grassroots participation to the elite level of sport.
At the grassroots level, the Green & Gold Summer Camps, operated in partnership with Campus and Community Recreation, offer aquatics, hockey, flag football, volleyball, tennis, track and field, sport leadership and sport skills camps, among many others.
“I like to think that most people understand the importance of ensuring kids are physically active and all the benefits that come with participation in sport. But we know from ongoing research that youth sport participation rates are declining,” says Ben Gallaher, associate director of the Green & Gold Sport System.
“The gateway for getting kids interested in sport is always going to be fun, so all our programming places a strong emphasis on creating camps and programs that are enjoyable and engaging.”
That focus on having fun while learning lifelong sport skills has proven to be immensely popular. The 4,300 registered kids this summer shattered previous participation records, with wait lists bursting at the seams. Along with science and engineering camps like DiscoverE, Green & Gold Summer Camps — which boasts the largest camp numbers at the U of A — contribute to broader youth programming that brings more than 6,500 young people to U of A campuses every year.
Along with helping young people get more physical activity, the Green & Gold camps showcase the university to a new set of kids and parents each summer, along with more than 60,000 people who attend varsity games each season.
“For many Edmonton families, Golden Bears and Pandas youth programs, camps and varsity events provide a positive first experience with the University of Alberta,” notes Gallaher.
“Our programming brings thousands of kids to campus, with many returning year after year to progress through the range of age groups and skill levels we offer. In addition to that, we employ dozens of U of A students as coaches, including a large number of Golden Bears and Pandas varsity athletes.”
U of A students and varsity athletes serve as coaches for young campers, giving them a glimpse of potential futures at the university. (Photo: Connor Hood)
Developing well-rounded athletes
Based on evidence generated by leading experts in the U of A’s Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation over the past decade, Gallaher and his team have implemented the philosophies of emphasizing multi-sport skills and learning into all of their programming.
“Our goal is to develop well-rounded athletes, and we've tried to push back against the idea that kids need to specialize in one sport in their early years of development, which can lead to burnout and injury,” he says. “All our summer sport camps feature a multi-sport component to ensure participants are working on a variety of fundamental movement skills in different environments.”
An example is taking an indoor camp such as volleyball or basketball outdoors to play soccer. The participants enjoy being outside, and the activity allows them to work on footwork and agility that will also help them improve as volleyball and basketball athletes, says Gallaher.
“This approach makes for a more enjoyable camp experience for the kids, and at the same time gives our coaches more lesson planning options to help the participants improve athletically.”
Full-circle moments
Tawana McLeod, who was a camp participant in the early ’90s, coached in the camps as a U of A student-athlete and has now seen her two sons participate in those same camps, says seeing the benefits of youth being active and being part of the continuity of participants and coaches has had a profound impact on her.
“When I was a young athlete in camps I would describe my experience as inspiring. As a Pandas student-athlete and coach it was energizing. And as I watched my kids put on that camp T-shirt for the first time, it was emotional,” says McLeod, who spent six seasons with the Pandas volleyball team in the early 2000s.
“It was so special to have such a memorable and meaningful full-circle moment.”
For Hertlein, being part of that cycle has allowed her to remain engaged with the university — and has helped her impart essential life lessons to her children.
“As I drop off and pick up my kids, I see other parents who are alumni, current U of A athletes and other parent volunteers from the sports community,” she says.
“It helps me feel connected to my alma mater, and my kids are starting to understand that sport is more than just winning and losing games. It's about the relationships you establish and maintain through your involvement in sports, creating memories and connecting with people.”
