Future Stars Multi-Sport Camp motivates the youth to explore their passions in the physical world of sports, ranging from basketball to cheerleading, during the summertime at our very own Michael J. Grant campus as they utilize our fitness areas and equipment.
It’s no news that Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) has vast opportunities for its student body— both sport and academically oriented. However, as most incoming students are unaware of, our Grant campus is home to the Future Stars Multi-Sport Camp. Having spoken to workers of the summer camp, those curious as to how they can pursue their desired fitness career with more hands-on experience can have their questions answered.
Mr. Kyle Verlotte, a college student at SUNY Cortland and camp counselor of Future Stars, shares his experience as a Physical Education major who also gives his time to the children attending the aforementioned summer camp. Given that he’s attended the same summer camp in his youth, it’s no surprise he’s always had a passion for physical education and learning new ways to improve his overall fitness. Still, this is not what pushed him to pursue the major. In fact, it was his junior year math teacher who sparked the idea of being a teacher into his head after seeing how easy it was for him to pass on his knowledge during class. Furthermore, Mr. Verlotte will become a Phys. Ed. teacher after college, and Future Stars will only help him further.
As a multi-sport coach at Future Stars Suffolk, Mr. Verlotte believes it better prepares him for his career by granting him experience. Such a job gives him the chance to hone his creative teaching and lecturing abilities, as well as better approach what works best with the different age groups— ranging from ages three to 15– he works with. Additionally, being a camp counselor means practicing classroom management— or more appropriately court, field, and pool management. Furthermore, the relationship building skills that come with being a camp counselor extends from the campers, to the staff, to the parents. “With this experience, as well as the awesome assistant coaches and directors, I never need to worry about being lent a hand if needed,” he further explains.
Seeing as students may be curious as to what being a camp counselor entails, Mr. Verlotte was more than willing to share his perspective: “Similarly to any teacher, my job is to educate campers on new sports and games, advance their skills and socialization abilities.” Not only does he motivate others to share his positive attitude, but he ensures the campers are safe and taken care of. Most weeks, counselors will supervise the campers during their field trips (Adventureland, Splish Splash, etc.) and see to it that they’re looked after. As for his experience at our Grant campus, Mr. Verlotte shares that “… having access to the facilities of the campus are highly beneficial for coaches looking to be Physical Educators such as myself because we have access to so much space for activities.” This includes the tennis courts, basketball courts and hoops, and a full Olympic size pool. “Getting to have the ability to use all these spaces allows me a lot of freedom to set up activity for my campers,” he elaborates.
For those curious about the camp itself, Director John Mees was more than happy to answer a few questions. When it comes to college students, they prioritize hiring future leaders and particularly those looking to get into health care or education. “Therefore, we welcome any current SCCC student looking to work alongside and learn from current educators with decades of experience,” he explains. Future Stars Multi-Sport Camp runs Monday-Friday. A traditional day would run from nine a.m. to four p.m. with early drop-off beginning at 7:30 a.m. and late pick-up ending at 5:30 p.m.. Sports camps are $575 per week and their STEAM camps (as the entire operation includes many programs) are $650 per week. That being said, multiple discounts are offered— early bird registration being one of many. A few of the offered programs are soccer, diving, baseball, and more. Each child will typically spend multiple hours engaged with their specific content, whether it be in the swimming pool or eating lunch in the Captree Commons cafe.
“We are not glorified babysitting. We hire experts in each field so that our campers leave each week more skilled and with a greater sense of confidence,” said Director John Mees.
