Kids Can Get Outside, Stay Active Locally this Summer

BY HANNAH MONTGOMERY
Miami University Journalism Student

With summer just around the corner, parents everywhere have begun to ask one another: What are the kids going to do?

Among the Oxford Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), Miami University and the Oxford Swimming and Diving Team (OSDT), there are plenty of options for getting children outside and active.

Despite Oxford’s small size and the clearing-out of students in May, local kids are awash in opportunities to learn everything from tennis and golf to hockey and synchronized skating.

“Here you can just sort of pop around and do all of these things and not worry,” said Susan Coffin, a program assistant at Miami and mother of four. “With four sons, you just have to keep them busy!” Coffin’s sons have participated in almost all activities Oxford offers including OSDT, hockey and skating camps, and a wide range of OPRD’s summer camps.

When it comes to summer sports, Oxford’s youth have hit the jackpot. In fact, people from all over journey to Oxford for Miami’s hockey and skating camps, said Mike Norton, former Miami hockey player and director of hockey at Miami.

Miami’s skating and hockey camps take place throughout the summer with programs for all skill levels and ages, ranging from beginners to college prospects.

Miami’s Outdoor Pursuit Center (OPC) will host a youth climbing camp in early June in which participants will learn to tie knots, develop movement skills and learn rock climbing lingo, according to the OPC website. The final day of the camp features a field trip to John Bryan State Park in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

OPRD offers a wide range of outdoor youth sports from May to July, ranging from instructional golf to archery.

“A lot of our sports focus on the fundamentals,” said Dustin VanWinkle, sports coordinator for OPRD. Many of the department’s camps are coached by local students, OPRD staff and other community members. Months of planning are required to prepare for the summer season, Van Winkle said.

“The reason we go and do these things is to have fun and create a good experience for the kids,” he said.

The Oxford Swim and Dive Team will be looking to defend its Butler County Swim League Champion title in its final year practicing at the current Oxford Municipal Pool. Coaches Steve Pasquale and Steve Schoenbaechler will both be returning to serve as head swim and dive coach, respectively. The team will practice weekday mornings beginning May 29.

Although the students will be gone, Miami University’s Goggin Ice Center will be plenty busy all summer. Miami will host camps and skating sessions, including Jr. Redhawks Learn to Skate camp, Figure Skating School, and Synchronized Skating School in addition to hosting Summer Hockey School and Miami Youth Hockey travel programs.

“I think the important part with hockey and skating is that they’re both lifetime sports,” Norton said. “I think the sooner they [children] can get involved in the program, the better it is for them.”

“Because we just had an Olympic year, we typically see a spike in hockey and skating,” Norton said. The Learn to Skate program will be available to both boys and girls who are just beginning to skate.

Top photo: Jr. Redhawks practice their skills at the 2015 summer camp. --Photo by Scott Kissell