Westmont Magazine Summer Sports Camps Achieve Record Enrollment

by Kelly Vivanco ’25

This year, Westmont’s summer sports camps experienced record enrollment, roughly doubling the number of campers in 2019. The college welcomed more than 1,400 youth ages 5 through 13 from all around Santa Barbara County.

Co-directors Johnny Whallon and Jeff Azain attribute the surprising increase to several things done well throughout the program’s history. Since the 1980s, these camps have developed an excellent reputation in the Santa Barbara community, and their longevity has helped them thrive.

Westmont’s camps offer a number of unique things, such as pool time, T-shirts, popsicles and signed certificates, which contribute to their appeal. Whallon and Azain identify the most important factor: staff. “They’re the main reason people come back,” the co-directors say. “Our outstanding staff make the summer camp experience a lot of fun for kids.”

More than 30 students this summer came from the East Side, a typically underrepresented area in Santa Barbara. For 10 years, Westmont has worked with Querencia, an organization led by alumna Holly Gil ’93, to cover the cost for these children to attend the camps and receive free breakfasts, lunches and transportation.

“The camps are high-quality experiences that welcome these children just like other campers and treat their families with dignity,” Gil says. “Even though Westmont is just eight minutes up the hill, it offers a drastic contrast to these children’s experiences. Some learn to swim during the week, and some of the older students have even served as counselors-in-training.”

Gil appreciates the sense of belonging the camps instill. “Kids talk about these experiences at camp for years,” she says.

Westmont looks forward to welcoming campers back during the summer of 2023 and will open registration early in the spring. Follow @westmontcamps on social media for information and updates.