■HR The Battalion Thursday, June 17,1 Our hope, our future Sports program offers guidance social development to local kids By MARGARET CLAUGHTON The Battalion RICHARD DIXON/The Battalion Christopher Thompson (front), Torrance Johnson, Kenneth Drones and Marco Joshua wait outside Medical Sciences Saturday for a free physical. The youths are participating in the National Youth Sports Program. R.C. Slocum football camp. Lady Aggies basketball camp, golf camp, baseball camp, tennis camp- of all the summer pro grams Texas A&M offers, one is geared for a different group of kids. The National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) provides a free summer sports camp for under privileged youths 10 to 16 years of age. The NYSP works with institu tions, such as Texas A&M, to pro vide kids from low income areas the opportunity to visit major uni versity campuses. With the help of the Texas A&M Department of Health and Kinesiology, the local NYSP camp works with youths from Calvert and Hearne as well as Bryan-College Station. "Some of these kids have never come on campus before this pro gram," said Dr. Frank Ashley, project administrator for the NYSP. "By bringing them to the university, we want to show them 'Hey, four to six years from now you can come here and get an ed ucation.'" To be eligible for the NYSP camp, youths must meet the Fed eral poverty guidelines. Through school counselors, low income youths are identified and sent NYSP applications. "We learn to get along with people bet ter here and outside the camp." — Derrick Brooks, Calvert High student progrc ad ski] tion and skills development in sports such as basketball, football, soccer, golf and swimming. Each camper can choose to participate in three activities. Trained coach es and student athletes supervise the sports instruction. Personal and social develop ment is also a part of the camp schedule. Each day, campers at tend 45 minute enrichment ses sions addressing topics such as al cohol and drug prevention, nutri tion, job responsibilities, sex edu cation, and AIDS awareness. "We can cover the topics that the schools can't," Ashley said. "Kids coming from economi cally disadvantaged environments are more likely to encounter prob lems in these areas," said Ashley. "We're really hitting the high risk kids." Campers attend the NYSP pro gram from 1-5 p.m. everyday for five weeks. "The session is longer than most summer camps," said Rose Schmitz, education director for the NYSP. "This makes it easie for counselors to get closer to til kids and make a real difference." Counselors involve the kids simulated job interviews an gameshow scenarios to maintai: the youths interests. Older youtl perform educational skits fo younger groups in the camp. "They kids are more recepft to their peers," Rose said. Derrick Brooks, a 15-year Calvert high student attendin NYSP for the second year, said though football is his favoril part, the enrichment sessions a fun as well. "We learn to get along wi people better here and outside tli camp," Brooks said. Guest speakers are anothi part of the enrichment session Fourteen-year-old Brandi Shaw, second year camper with NYS1 said the most influential parte her camp experience was a vis from some female prisoners. "A lot of people talk ton about drugs and stuff," Shat said. "But it makes you realize can really happen. It changed lot of peoples minds." Support for the NYSP stem from the U.S. Department Health and Human Services am the NCAA. With the help of fed eral funding and the cooperatio; of several major universities, tlii NYSP has grown from two insti tutions in its first year to 175to day. 9\[ewfotl