July 20, 2005
Camp offers fun net results
Child Guidance Inc sponsors skills camp for 25 young players
By
Herald staff writer
Seven-year-old Kurdt Benson of Traverse City has a new favorite sport - soccer.
Benson is one of 25 young soccer players attending skills camp for the first time this week.
Children's Guidance Inc., in association with North Shore Outdoor Ministries of Traverse City, is hosting a soccer camp this week for area children who would not otherwise be able to afford a traditional sports camp.
"I didn't know anything about playing soccer and now I'm learning," said seven-year-old Kurdt Benson of Traverse City. "I've been pretty good at the goal. It's fun," Benson said.
The camp, organized by Jen Steinman, a home based therapist for Child Guidance Inc. and Dawn McConnell of North Shore Outdoor Ministries, offers children a chance to have fun while picking up some soccer skills and making new friends.
"Anyone who can't afford to go to soccer camp is eligible for this," Steinman said. "We publicized the camp through the Boys and Girls Club, Third Level Crisis Center and Child and Family Services, but really anyone without means to attend another camp was eligible."
McConnell, who has previously conducted camps in Blair Township and Peshawbestown for North Shore, hooked up with her friend Steinman to expand the reach of the camp. As in previous years, she also enlisted the help of high school students to share their knowledge of the game.
McConnell contacted a youth minister in Columbus, Ohio whose high school youth group was looking for a mission trip. The students from Xenos Christian Fellowship Church were eager to participate in the week-long outing.
"It is amazing to see how much care these kids have with the little ones, they are really investing themselves in this," said group leader Brad Dufault.