July 13, 2006

Leslie Wolfe. Photos by Michael Zide.

Most students may have left the UMass Amherst classrooms for the summer, but campus gymnasiums, playing fields, swimming pools and ice rinks are hustling and bustling. Summer time is camp time in Amherst, and young campers have many opportunities to build their skills in baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, tennis, swimming or hockey.

According to Travis Ford, men's basketball head coach, who runs several camps, kids come to campus with varied expectations. "Some just want a vacation," he says. "They're not interested in getting any better." While other players go through the drills as if they were a "matter of life and death."

Those who are looking for a relaxing time at basketball camp are in for a surprise. Ford and a dozen of his top players are on hand to put the boys through practices that simulate those at the college level. "We're not baby sitting," Ford says. "We work it. We teach and encourage, teach and encourage." The young campers may be a bit overwhelmed, but he tells them not to expect to become great players during their short stay at the camp--it's the two or three things that they will take home with them to work on that will eventually build their skills.

Aside from quality instruction, the biggest benefit to campers may be the quality time they get with UMass basketball stars. They can go home and boast of the moves that, say, Rashaun Freeman or Stephane Lasme taught them. In turn, the players enjoy a break from their summer workout schedule and have an opportunity to give back to the community by building bonds with young athletes and demonstrating what it takes to play at the college level.

Over at the Softball Total Skills School, Elaine Sortino, who has become one of the winningest coaches of all-time in her 26 years as the UMass women's softball coach, puts girls between the ages of 8 and 18 through their paces. "You think you're hot stuff before you come here," Natalie Roeder, 15, of Needham, Mass. says. "But in the camp you learn that's not so."

Roeder and Caitlyn Shaddock, 17, of Milford, both say their shoulders are sore from the three days of activities, but neither is complaining. Shaddock says she can apply everything she learned at the camp to make her senior year on her high school team more productive. Roeder says she's not only learned a great deal but also had a lot of fun. Both girls are enthusiastic about all the girls they've met. "At first I didn't know anyone," says Roeder. "It's been a good bonding experience."

As with the basketball camp, the softball school employs current and former college players, along with a number of coaches, so that there is a camper/counselor ratio of about five to one. Kristi Stefanoni, '06, a former team star, has been a counselor for the past four years and has seen many campers return each year. Alumnae and former counselors of the school include pitcher Danielle Henderson, '99, who went on to play for the gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic team.

Coach Sortino herself is on hand to lead the school, making sure the drills move along on schedule and interacting continually with the young players. Sortino's presence is an incentive for many. Pam Fellbaum, of Grafton, mother of campers Jessica and Emily, who are college prospects, says, "This is a good chance for them to get in front of the coach and see if they like UMass." As Ed Carey from Albany, New York, and father of camper Anna, puts it, "This is an elite program. My daughter is learning from the best."

Amanda Acampora, '07, who plays first base for UMass, enjoys watching the girls adapt to campus. She says for some it's their first time staying overnight away from home. It takes some time for some of them to come out of their shells, but when they do, being in their dorms with new friends becomes their favorite part of camp.

To learn more about how young people can get an early view of campus life while learning from the best, check out the many different sports camps UMass offers at UMass Athletics.