Youth Summer Sports Camps Underway

Westmont summer sports camps, a more than 25-year tradition in Montecito, began June 22 with sports skills camp, developing motor skills of co-ed campers from ages 5-10. Basketball camp, which also began this week, has been around nearly 40 years at Westmont. John Moore, men’s head basketball coach, recalls being an incoming senior at Westmont when then Head Basketball Coach Chet Kammerer asked him and his sister to help with the first basketball camp at Westmont.

“I think we had 15-20 boys and girls enrolled at the time,” he says. “This fall I will enter into my 23rd year coaching the men’s basketball team at Westmont, which has allowed me to work in the summer with these wonderful children for a quarter of a century.”

For the next five weeks, about 900 youngsters will develop in a sport at a safe and fun environment on the idyllic Montecito campus. Parents can register their children for half-day camps, which cost $230, or full-day camps that are $260 at westmont.edu/athletics/summer-camps.

Along with sports skills and basketball, Westmont hosts soccer, archery/badminton, tennis, girls cheer and dance, baseball and track and field camps.

“The coaches work with youngsters to develop their athletic ability and instill a love of sports,” says Jeff Azain, camp director and men’s basketball assistant coach, “We enjoy watching youngsters develop over the course of the week in an encouraging and fun environment.”

Coming off back-to-back historic seasons, head baseball coach Robert Ruiz leads a co-ed camp for players ages 7-12 on July 27-31, at Carr Field.

For the third year, Westmont offers girls cheer and dance camp directed by staff veterans Jill Wolf and Chrissie Velazquez for girls ages 5-12 on July 20-24.

“Most of our collegiate athletic programs included at least one Warrior who attended our sports camps,” Azain says. “This introduction to our programs, combined with a positive experience, has brought student-athletes back to Westmont nearly a decade later to participate in our collegiate programs.”