City to Offer New Summer Camps and Classes

BY BREEANA GREENBERG

A slate of youth summer camps aimed at getting 9- to 12-year-old kids active and learning new skills such as pickleball are coming to Dana Point this month.

Starting on July 24, the City of Dana Point will offer local kids the summer camp opportunities, including a new pickleball camp allowing them to learn the basics and jump-start their interest in the fastest-growing sport in America.

International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association (IPTPA) certified trainers, including coaches Bernie Cain and Joe Moline, will lead the camp in 10 1½-hour classes, where the kids are taught the basics of pickleball from strokes to techniques and strategies.

“What makes these camps so special is that we have engaged some great coaches and teachers who will work with our local youth to make sure they learn some fun skills,” Dana Point Director of Community Services Jeff Rosaler explained in a media release, adding: “I encourage our local families to check out what we have to offer.”

The pickleball camp includes 10 classes. Cain said the class aims to “teach them the basics and just take their skills as far as you can in a twoweek period. That way, they have the basics to get out there and go play.”

Cain, a Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) gold medalist for the 70-and-above division, said he loves coaching the sport. His patience and knowledge of the sport, he said, stand out from other coaches.

“I live, eat and breathe pickleball,” Cain said. “And I love to see people progress. You don’t have to be the best player in the world to be one of the best coaches, and I have patience to coach, and a lot of people don’t.”

Through the camp, Cain hopes more Dana Point youths fall in love with the sport.

“I hope little all-stars start developing out of this class, (and) they fall in love with this,” Cain said. “I’d like to see the kids start saying to their schools and some of us adults, to go talk to CIF to actually make it a competitive sport for high school in Orange County.”

Emphasizing that pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America, Cain said he’s never seen someone fall out of love with the sport.

“It’s a great game, and I know they’ll love it,” Cain said.

There are two pickleball camp options, with one camp occurring outside at the basketball court at Del Obispo Park and one camp inside the gym at the Community Center. The indoor camp will run from July 10-21, Monday through Friday, and the outdoor camp will run from July 24-Aug. 4, Monday through Friday.

All the equipment needed will be supplied by Selkirk Sport, a family-run pickleball equipment company, Cain added.

In addition to the pickleball camp, the city will offer Coach Jay’s Basketball Camp; Teen Cuisine Camp; Jewelry, Design & Craft Creation Camp; Anime, Cartooning & Comic Creation Camp; and Artsy Cooking Camp—all new this year.

Coach Jay Simpson will lead the basketball camp this year, offering players a chance to continue developing basketball fundamentals. Two camps will be offered this summer split by age groups, with 6- to 9-year-olds playing from 8-10 a.m. and ages 9-11 playing from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The camp will run from July 24-28.

Teen Cuisine Camp for youths ages 11 to 17 will offer young adults the opportunity to learn essential cooking techniques. Attendees will work in a group setting and learn the basics of kitchen safety, measuring ingredients and creating easy-to-make dishes.

All food and supplies are provided for the class, which will run from July 24-28 from 1-4 p.m.

For younger kids interested in cooking, the City of Dana Point offers Artsy Cooking Camp for 5- to 12-yearolds. Students will have the chance to explore cooking a different recipe each day and complete art projects while the food is cooking.

In the Anime, Cartooning & Comic Creation Camp for kids ages 5 to 12, participants will learn how to create their own characters, draw different facial expressions, create backgrounds and write plots. The camp runs from July 24-28.

“With the Community Center in general, we’re really encouraging the community to come visit,” Rosaler said. “This place should be full all the time with tons of different activities going on, and we’re looking to bring those activities to the community. We just need folks to come down and enjoy it.”

More information about the classes and camps the City of Dana Point is offering can be found on the city’s recreation department website.