Summer sports camp "All That" for Katrina children
"All That Sports" had a starting class of 117 elementary-age children who participated in basketball, soccer, football and other outdoor games.
Former Broncos NFL football player Randy Thornton visits with children from the "All That Sports" camp.
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By Tara E. Smith
JEFFERSON PARISH, La. - This summer, the sounds of laughter and squeals are filling the hallways and playing fields of Second Zion Baptist Church in Marrero, La. Between the basketballs, footballs, soccer balls and a starting class of 117 elementary-age children, the staff of "All That Sports" (ATS) summer camp has their hands full.
The free camp, sponsored by Operation Blessing International and Christian Sport International (CSI), kicked off mid-June with the goal of restoring a sense of normalcy and hope for children impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
"I like that we play a lot of sports. I like that they feed us," said 9-year-old Kiera of Marrero.
Many of the children who attend the camp are residents of the nearby housing project which has nearly doubled in population due to the influx of Katrina evacuees, said Peggy Beisler, Operation Blessing's OBI's child development and education manager.
The camp, which consists of three different sports and a one-hour reading program, is staffed by local teachers, counselors and coaches, and emphasizes healthy lifestyle choices; stress management techniques; and character development.
Ten-year-old Jaquan, who lived in the 9th Ward pre-Katrina, said he would be at home watching television or playing video games if it were not for the summer camp.
And the camp not only packs in a lot of sports, but a few sports celebrities as well.
"This is an investment in our community, in our kids," said Randy Thornton, former Denver Broncos NFL football player and now a representative of Operation Blessing. "In this area right now, there is a lot of drug and gang activity. If we start these kids young, we can bring the crime down."
Thornton also stressed how much the children are still affected by Katrina. "We're weather shy. Every time it rains, my little girl asks me if we are going to die."
Originally, Operation Blessing was scouting sites in Louisiana earlier this year to open a learning center, not a sports camp. But when staff learned that five to ten thousand children would be coming back to New Orleans during the summer and very few summer programs existed, they brainstormed with the staff of CSI and came up with the All That Sports summer program.
"This is the biggest program we've done by far," said CSI President Scott Grinder. "It's a plowing ministry. We put our hands to the plow each day, drop the seeds behind and in due time, God reaps the harvest."
"My goals are to get the best of the best for these kids who have always gotten second best. I want to get them the best," said Peggy Beisler, Operation Blessing's Bless-A-Child manager.
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Following the close of camp in August, OBI plans to expand their community outreach and open after-school learning centers in Jefferson Parish, New Orleans and several other states. And they hope to keep sports as part of the program.
"Our goal is to add a sports program to the learning centers because it is such a big component for the kids," Beisler added. "The hours between 3 to 6 p.m. are when most kids get into trouble. My goals are to get the best of the best for these kids who have always gotten second best. I want them to get them the best."
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