Youths sport skills at UCLA camps

Monday, July 20, 1998

Youths sport skills at UCLA camps

CAMPUS: Bruin players, coaches, staff enjoying teaching
beginners the basics while helping advanced students excel

By Evan Lovett

Daily Bruin Staff

Amidst the sea of young faces are expressions of hope, anxiety,
wonder and excitement.

It is the first day of the 1998 UCLA Bruins Swimming Camp, one
of 15 sports camps offered at UCLA during the summer. The four-day
camp has brought children from all skill levels together for an
excursion they will never forget.

"The camp is so fun. I learned how to dive and swim the correct
way and meet cool people," said David Audell, a 7-year-old from
Beverly Hills.

UCLA head coach Cyndi Gallagher is running the camp, one of
three swimming sessions that UCLA will offer this summer. Gallagher
says she runs the camp because, "I really enjoy the camp. Being
with the kids is a great experience. It’s rewarding."

The swimming camp has swimmers with a range of skills, from
future Division I prospects to those who are just learning.

One beginner is Aminah Hasan, a 13-year-old from West Hills.
Aminah was afraid of the water, but attending the camp has helped
her conquer her fear. "Coach Cyndi taught me to ‘trust the water’
and gave me more confidence. I feel pretty good now, and I am glad
I came to the camp."

Another camp offered by UCLA is the gymnastics camp, led by head
coach Valorie Kondos and assistants Randy Lane and Steve
Gerlach.

The gymnastics camp is therapeutic for Coach Kondos. "It brings
me down to earth. After working with the elite gymnasts all year,
this is a nice change of pace."

Coach Gerlach sees the aim of the camp as pleasing the kids.
"The most important thing is that the kids have fun … It’s
difficult working with kids from such varying skill levels and
ages, but if they have fun, that’s what counts."

One of the more enthusiastic coaches of any of the camps, Gary
Adams is running the baseball camp for his 18th consecutive year.
Coach Adams has help from hitting coach Vince Beringhele and a
staff of eight counselors.

Adams’ goal and philosophy for the camp are simple: Learn as
much as you can and have fun. He also enforces only three rules:
Listen to the coaches, hustle at all times and be a good sport.

"I try to teach the kids that winning is not the objective –
putting forth the effort to win is what counts … Fun is the name
of the game, and I have just as much fun as the kids," says
Adams.

That’s not hard to believe, as the children reflect the
enthusiasm put forth by Adams. Kristian Moriarty, an 11-year-old
from Mar Vista, calls the camp, "The best I have ever been to.
Coach Adams is awesome and funny. I love being able to play with
real UCLA players, and have fun and learn at the same time."

Max Gittelson, a 10-year-old from Los Angeles, agrees. "I can’t
wait to come back. It was fun how I could learn a lot and still be
able to play games and meet the good coaches."

Fun while learning seems to be the goal of Bruin Sports Camps,
and each camp seems to achieve that goal. The kids enjoy it, the
coaches are rewarded and parents are happy.

Christina Pappas, a 10-year-old from Los Angeles who has
attended the baseball, softball, soccer and basketball camps, sums
it up well. "The UCLA camps are so fun. I wish I could come every
week."

UCLA offers camps in 15 sports: baseball, boy’s basketball,
girl’s basketball, boy’s soccer, girl’s soccer, softball, throwing,
track and field, tennis, golf, boy’s volleyball, girl’s volleyball,
swimming, gymnastics and water polo. For more information, call
(310) 206-3550, or e-mail [email protected].

DERRICK KUDO/Daily Bruin

Neil Furuno coaches a gymnast on a trampoline at the John Wooden
Center during a gymnastics camp.