Mill Creek MetroParks to offer new recreation & sports camps
Mill Creek MetroParks has a new addition to its summer program lineup.
Next week, the park will offer a three-day youth recreation and sports camp for children age 6 to 15. It’s the first multi-sport camp the MetroParks has offered.
The program at Wick Recreation Area will give participants a chance to try a wide range of sports, including baseball, softball, volleyball, golf and tennis. Additionally, the camp will feature a nature education component during which campers will go on hikes in the park and learn about the areas surrounding the recreation area.
“We tried to design a camp that encompassed all the sports currently held at Wick,” said Brian Tolnar, MetroParks golf director.
The camp runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through June 16. During those hours, campers will participate in hour- to hour-and-a-half-long sessions focusing on those sports.
The goal, Tolnar said, is twofold: Give kids the chance to try out sports that they might want to continue playing in the future, and draw new members to the sports leagues the MetroParks offers at Wick.
“We just want to showcase Wick and everything we have up there,” he said. “We wanted to really start taking advantage of the Wick Recreation Area and really trying to draw from that section of town, to grow our golf leagues and Little League baseball leagues.”
The sessions will be led by MetroParks staff members and community volunteers, including coaches from local high-school teams.
Registration is open through Tuesday. The cost is $39 per person. To register, call the Wick Par-3 pro shop at 330-740-7114 or Ford Nature Center at 330-740-7107.
Tolnar encouraged parents to sign up their children. “We just think it’s a great, interactive camp that will give the kids a vast knowledge of all these different sports to see if it sparks an interest,” he said.