Near West keeping kids active
Throughout life it has become common that while a great student is often well accomplished, a good athlete is more celebrated. But for the youth today becoming a balanced student/athlete should always be the goal. With understanding that our student/athletes can reach their full potential in whatever direction they choose to go, Near West Side CDC (NWSCDC) has incorporated a program within the West Haven Community that starts to help develop structure within the student/athlete’s life at a much earlier time.
Saturday, January 15th 2011, Crane Tech High School, in conjunction with NWSCDC’s West Haven Sports Club, hosted several neighboring grammar schools (feeder schools), coaches and student/athletes, to a skills camp that gives insight on what it takes to be a student/athlete on the next level of education. Crane H.S. Head Basketball Coach Tim Anderson, a product of the West Haven community, anchored the skills camp with exceptional examples of student/athletes, currently enrolled at Crane H.S. He and Coach Keith Sanders helped demonstrate examples of structure, discipline, focus, and hard work as well as focusing on health & fitness, life skills, and academics to the grammar school participants. “This is a program that has been long needed in the community”, Coach Anderson said. “A whole community coming together to take action in the structure of our student/athlete’s lives’ is well overdue”. Coach Hardwick, of Dett Grammar School, was pleased with this initial start of the program. “This is really a great example of a community coming together as a whole. Not only are my athletes learning, so am I. But the key is we have several coaches/ mentors focusing in on each individual’s progress collectively. It’s easier to help find solutions for each child’s situation when we all put our heads together”.
“Two of the biggest attractions to the West Haven Sports Club that we are implementing is that 1) NWSCDC is actively stepping up to help fill the void of funding due to CPS cuts that directly affects the community’s afterschool engagements and 2) most importantly, we are bringing together the community”, said Oji Eggleston of Near west Side. “The students of Dett as well as Brown Elementary and Victor Herbert Grammar Schools need to recognize themselves as family; as one, even within competition. From coaching staffs to teachers; from community workers to parents, we all play a part in developing our children’s future and to do it collectively is like a great group of farm hands developing a great crop”.
Over 50 boys and girls showed up Saturday for the camp. The youth were all issued practice uniforms to participate in and listened to Coach Anderson and Oji Eggleston explained what the camp was about and what they may take from this. “The youth showed up on a non-school day in good numbers which proves that they are eager about sports but maybe, subconsciously, desiring structure”, said Aaron Boyd, Youth Program Coordinator. “The key is for them to learn to enjoy and appreciate structure. Then it will no longer be a subconscious thing”.
Aside from the skills camps, the West Haven Sports club will take on a more active role in a students work day. With teachers and principals on board for strengthening relationships with student/ athletes, it has become easier for the West Haven Sports Club to collaborate with teachers, parents, and coaches on behavior and responsibilities, to mentoring and academics. The plan is to hold the student/athlete accountable for his own progress, with sports being the reward.
For more info call Near West Side CDC @ 312.738.2280 or email us @ oji@nearwestsidecdc.org or aboyd@nearwestsidecdc.org