Carleton varsity athletes work hard year-round to hone their athletic prowess for the Ravens, but some of those athletes also take time to pass on their abilities to a younger generation during the summer.
Heather Lindsay plays for the Ravens’ women’s basketball team, but she’s also a camp counsellor for Carleton’s summer sports camp program.
Lindsay, like many Carleton varsity athletes, spent her summer sharing her athletic skills with children who might one day aspire to be like her. This past summer marked her fourth year as a counsellor.
“It’s a pretty unique opportunity to be able to learn from players in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) because a lot of the kid’s goals for basketball is to one day be able to play at this level,” Lindsay said. “We can give [kids] pointers and really help them to grow as players.”
The camps take place typically over nine weeks of summer and attract around 5,000 kids each year, according to camp coordinator Christopher Surgeoner. The camps specialize in many sports, from basketball to football.
Surgeoner said varsity athletes are chosen as camp counsellors because of their expertise and athleticism, which they can impart to children.
“I think the children look up to them. They’re obviously very skilled and experts in their positions and chosen sport,” Surgeoner said.
Surgeoner explained not all instructors are Carleton varsity athletes, but also people from different backgrounds and locations.
“They all bring a lot of skills and abilities to the camp program,” he said.
He described the specialty camps as consisting of “top-level athletes working with kids,” including the Scrubb brothers and Nate Behar.
The Scrubb brothers were involved with the camps during all the years they went to Carleton, which was a very positive experience for the school, Surgeoner said.
Ravens basketball player Stephanie Carr also spent the past summer as a counsellor. She said the position provides a good opportunity for kids to learn from and interact with Carleton athletes.
“I think it’s nice for the kids to get to know us. A lot of the times they’ll talk to their parents about wanting to come out to games,” Carr said.
She said many of the kids are inspired to one day play for a Carleton sports team. Children will even come back to the camp program for more than one week during the summer because of their interest, she added.
“There’s nine weeks of summer, and the age groups are different for every week. Some kids will come back for a couple weeks in a row,” she said.
The summer camps only take on about a dozen new staff members each year and the positions are competitive, according to Surgeoner.
“Each year we’ll maybe get 300 or 400 applications to work at the camps, and we’ll probably only interview 30 people,” Surgeoner said.
In addition to their unique abilities, counsellors are trained in First Aid, CPR, and other emergency procedures. They must also complete the National Coaching Certification Program, Level 1.
Lindsay said she has enjoyed her time as camp counsellor and believes the program has a significant impact on children and the community around Carleton.
“We get to know all the kids in the area, and it’s really nice to see them come out to the games and support us,” Lindsay said. “It’s nice for us to be able to give back and help these kids learn.”
