10 minute read
Camps
MORE BASKETBALL HEROES WANTED
Mavs Academy hoop camps aim to change lives on and off the court
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By Amber Billops
People Newspapers
Want to have fun and learn the game of basketball the right way? Try a Mavs Academy hoop camp.
“The big part of the game is the fundamental piece, and we have a lot of fun with it by learning and understanding the game,” said Mavs Academy director Ben Hunt during a spring session at the Beckley-Saner Recreation Center in Oak Cliff.
Campers enjoy playing three on three and five on five and compete in various contests to win Mavs prizes. During that recent session, boys and girls dribbled two balls at a time and participated in other drills.
“Ultimately, at the end of the day, for us, (goals include) creating Mavs fans for life, being in the community, giving back as much as we can, and sharing our love for the game,” Hunt said.
Opportunities start with one-day camps on the beginner side, going from campers as young as 4 in the Mini-Mavs program to Campers work on their hoop skills and learn about teamwork during Mavs Academy programs. (PHOTOS: CHRIS MCGATHEY)
youth and high school tournaments for the Mavs Full Classic.
“Whatever stage of your basketball career you are in, whether you are a beginner just starting out, you like the game, you like watching the Mavs play, and you want to be involved in camps or clinics, we have the opportunity to provide that,” Hunt said. “If you already play, and you want to take your game to the next level, we have skills training and development training in the summer along with the youth and high school tournaments.”
Mavs Academy is heading into its 29th summer – its busiest time of the year. “The big thing about Mavs Academy is we take pride in being within 25 minutes from you throughout the course of the summer months,” Hunt said.
The academy holds its 10-weeks in several locations such as Duncanville, Desoto, Fort Worth, Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Rowlett, and Rockwall.
During the summer, campers meet such notable guests as past players, legends, and even current players.
“It has been a tradition for decades, and they love it,” Hunt said. “You can tell when the players come out that they want to be a part of giving back to the community. The smiles on their faces show that and tell a thousand words. We love to give our campers the opportunities and the chance to meet their heroes.”
Camp lessons prioritize character-building and cover leadership, sportsmanship, and teamwork.
“The skills, dribbling, passing, and shooting are pretty fun, but at the end of the day, it is the characters of the campers when they are done,” Hunt said. “It’s about developing the leaders of today and tomorrow. Attitude is important, and we are extremely proud of that part of our program where we get to make an impact on and off the court.”
SIGN ME UP!
Mavs academies have spring, summer, and winter camps available at locations around North Texas. Register your child at mavs.com/academy.
Ability Connection Offers New Special Needs Program
Summer camp aims to help children with disabilities keep learned skills sharp
Children with disabilities have a new option this summer with Ability Connection launching its Camp Connections program.
The program aims to prevent campers ages 10 and older from losing social and academic skills gained over the school year by providing interaction when there are fewer chances for it during the summer months.
Sessions will run with fullday block schedules from June 6 to July 1 and July 5 to July 29 at Cochran Chapel Administration Building and a yet to be announced location. Parents will be able to pick three goals for their children to work on during the camps.
Certified special education instructors will focus on strengthening educational, vocational, and social skills.
“Ability Connection believes that teenagers in North Texas with disabilities should have the
Ability Connection client Nina and friend enjoy a creative project together.
we provide tiered support for [children] ages 10-17 of varying disabilities and socio-economic backgrounds through a blend of academics, life/social skills and - most importantly - fun.” of the individuals and families the agency supports. The agency also provides after-school, holiday, and respite programs. Parents and guardians can experience burn out, so the respite programs
Ability Connection give them a break on the first believes that teenagers Friday evening in North Texas with and second Saturday afternoon disabilities should have of each month the same access to quality by providing a snack, game, and and enriching programs as event time for their fully-abled peers. their children. Jim Hanophy – Staff report
The Ability Connection has specialized in care for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities for 67 years. The nonprofit, serving more than 800 people across Texas, uses a one person focus by identifying and addressing the unique priorities LEARN MORE
What’s the deal with airline food, am I right? I took an Intro to Stand-Up class at Dallas Comedy Club to find out. Just joking (see, I know jokes now!). I did it because we thought it would make a cool story, and as someone obsessed with stand-up comMADDIE SPERA edy, I figured, “Why not finally try it?”
The class ran for six weeks with a “graduation show” at the end. I had no clue what to expect and was even skeptical about how one could teach stand-up comedy. I saw it as one of those things you must just get out there and do.
I still think that’s true to a degree, but the class did help with learning different types of jokes and innovative writing exercises for generating joke ideas.
Each week we covered one or two types of jokes (there are more than you’d think), then had in-class writing time and time to pitch what we came up with at the end. This was maybe what I found to be the most valuable aspect of the class.
People Newspapers client relations and marketing coordinator Maddie Spera (front, center) and her classmates spent six weeks
studying the art of stand-up comedy. (PHOTOS:
COURTESY DALLAS COMEDY CLUB)
GET IN ON THE JOKES
Visit dallascomedyclubtrainingcenter.com for the Dallas Comedy Club’s class calendar and options.
We found a dedicated crowd and sounding board in our classmates and were able to give each other praise, constructive criticism, and whatever else we needed to be the best we could be.
Our class was incredibly supportive of one another, and we all had a lot of fun. Some of us have even gone to open mics together since class ended.
When it came time for our graduation show, I was amazed at how well-prepared everyone was (shout out to our amazing teacher Nick Cutelli).
Typically, a first-timer’s stand-up set isn’t going to get a lot of laughs, and, to be brutally honest, the jokes aren’t going to be good.
However, I found myself thoroughly enjoying every set from backstage (I went on second-to-last), and the audience seemed to as well.
Once it was time for me to go on, I was nervous, but as soon as I got that first laugh, the jitters went away.
As my set came to an end, I remember being disappointed that it was almost over. I will forever remember my experience taking this class and all the people I met, and I plan to continue doing stand-up, even if it’s never for anything more than fun. I enjoyed it that much.
If stand-up isn’t your cup of tea, Dallas Comedy Club offers way more class options, like storytelling, sketch comedy, improv, and even musical improv!
There are also camps for kids and teens. So, whether you’ve always dreamed of getting up on stage or just want to meet new friends, DCC is the place to check out.
Outdoor Living.
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class of 2022Congratulations
$10,188,716
earned in merit scholarship offers by 112-member class as self-reported by May 11
600+ chapel services attended by each member of the class over four years
100% performed community service in high school, collectively totaling 17,420+ HOURS
22 active for a year or more in our Spanish Learning Service Program
100% of the class completed a total of 700+ AP exams from 32 AP courses
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