Despite COVID-19, 18-2 Sports Camps brought sports to many young athletes this summer, and free of charge.
18-2 annually holds sports day and evening sports camps for youth near Delia. However this year because of COVID-19 restrictions, camps were cancelled.
“The staff was determined to find a way to make a camp situation work so they would not miss a summer seeing their loyal 18-2 campers! With a lot of creativity and camp set up, the regular indoor sports camps became FREE outdoor, socially distanced, COVID camps ON LOCATION!” said organizers in a release.
The daytime multisport camp was offered for two weeks, and the evening volleyball camps/training was offered all of July and is still going on indefinitely as the weather holds out.
The camps are staffed by high school and university athletes, both local and from across Western Canada.
The multisport camp was offered at 18-2 just outside Delia, or the staff took their camp on location and travelled to local cohorting families. They set up their camp at parks, right in back yards, or at school grass areas.
The daytime camps were multisport and mix of technical teaching and fun and games. The cohorting kids and their parents would have a safe playing area separated from staff. After initiating the equipment and balls for the activity, the kids managed the equipment on their own, and when they were done would safely gather the equipment in a location where everything was sanitized.
“We saw about 70% of our regulars, and we hope to visit the rest during the last half of August. We also gained a lot of new campers and are excited to continue relationships with them and their families,” said camp staffer Sonya Nielsen.
In the evenings on the 18-2 beach and grass courts, multiple cohort groups are coming to train with the 18-2 Crew staff. They are sometimes training four different sessions in an evening, and the courts are booked every night of the week.
With grass and beach volleyball, COVID restrictions are put in place, and the staff is unable to initiate any balls during drills. Camp staffer Kaitlyn Leischner explains that “the staff has different separate color-coded balls that allow us to demonstrate with each other and not share or be in contact with any of our campers.”
Organizers do not know what the future holds for indoor sports and COVID restrictions, but while they can be outdoors, they are enjoying training kids in the fresh air and will continue to do so until the weather doesn’t allow it anymore.
All the staff joined knowing it could have been strictly a volunteer role for the entire summer, as the camps were provided for free they would have to fundraise the camp expenses. They are selling frozen homemade pre-scooped cookie dough, selling 18-2 gear, and putting on a virtual volleyball SHOWDOWN tournament. Follow 18-2 and the 18-2 crew for more information... @eighteentwo and @eighteentwo_crew or contact them by email: eighteentwocamps@gmail.com
