ISENBERG — During the lazy days of summer, what motivates Kaua‘i’s youth to give up the solitude of their comfortable couches and set aside their Nintendo Game Cubes to participate in challenging games and activities of either soccer, basketball, or
ISENBERG — During the lazy days of summer, what motivates Kaua‘i’s youth to give up the solitude of their comfortable couches and set aside their Nintendo Game Cubes to participate in challenging games and activities of either soccer, basketball, or cheerleading? The answer is The Kaua‘i Sports Camp.
The event is a week long program which ran from Monday, July 5 to Friday, July 10. This three-year-old program gives children, ranging in ages from six to twelve, a chance to be active playing a sport they love, while also learning about the importance of teamwork, friendship, and of course, loving the Lord.
Everyday at 3 p.m., a large group of about 80 kids arrive at Isenburg Park, located next to the Lihu‘e Neighborhood Center, to begin the best three hours of their day. After receiving words of encouragement and the daily theme, which derives from the New Testament (2 Timothy 4:7-8), the kids scatter throughout the field, basketball court, and under a tent to practice and play the sport of their choice.
Adult and adolescent volunteer coaches teach the children basic as well as intricate drills to improve their skills. There are breaks in which coaches have a chance to sit down and share stories with the children relating to the daily theme, sing songs praising the Lord, and a story from the Bible is told while kids snack on chips and juice or water.
About thirty minutes before heading home, the kids collect into a tent to hear a sports story and a Bible tale about Paul, before finishing the three hours with a prayer.
Whether it is the snacks, stories, or the games played, all of the campers enjoy the different aspects of camp and majority have been eagerly waiting from the previous summer to come back again. Nine-year-old Michah Young, who is a threeyear camp veteran and the youngest son of Pastor Jed Young of Lihu‘e Missionary Church, definitely has his favorite parts of camp. When asked what the best thing about camp is, he exclaimed, “The snacks, playing the soccer games, the messages about God, and the magic tricks.” It was apparent by the look on his face that there was no other place that he’d rather be.
Anyone who partook in the camp this year and the previous years, know that a few significant changes have been made.
Last year’s Kaua‘i Sports Camp consisted of only soccer, but was expanded to also include basketball and cheerleading. According to camp director Isaac Ibe, who hails from Lihu‘e Missionary Church, the decision to expand the number of sports this year was made in the effort to reach out to more children, and peak their interest in the camp. Then there is the change in the position of camp director. Pastor Jed Young , who was the camp director for the first two years, recently handed the reins over to Ibe, asking him to take over the event which took a total of two to three months to plan. Ibe, who was a former soccer camp coach last year, kept close contact with six of Kaua‘i’s Christian churches which included: Lihu‘e Baptist, Lihu‘e United, Kapa‘a Missionary, Aloha Church, Ohana Christian, and Lihu‘e Missionary, to successfully promote and plan the event. Although the job was a bit more stressful than last year’s task of keeping kids within the sidelines, the big responsibility turned out to be a rewarding experience from which I have learned so much, he said.
Having a better chance to know God and build a better relationship with Him is the most important thing that the camp-goers can retain, said Ibe, and I’m happy to be a part of it.
Besides being grateful for the cooperation of the churches and the help of the pastors and volunteers, Ibe notes that the entire camp would not have been possible if not for the generous donations of various sponsors, including: Kaua‘i Reality, ‘Anue‘anue Finance, Ventures, Pyramid Insurance, and Kaua‘i Beverage.
When asked about remaining as Camp Director for the Kaua‘i Sports Camp next year, he laughed and jokingly replied, I’ll have to get on my knees and pray hard.”
