Contact: Carmen Ramos Chandler,
(818) 677-2130
cchandler@exec.csun.edu

Camp Offers Week of Fun for Physically Challenged Youth

Participants will receive instruction and participate in a variety of sports, including tennis, track and field, basketball, archery, swimming, badminton, and floor hockey.

The camp is the only one of its kind in the city of Los Angeles. All instructors and counselors are persons with disabilities who have overcome their challenges and serve as role models for the campers.

"It's much more than sports that we offer," said CSUN kinesiology professor Nick Breit, camp co-director. "We hope to give the campers a sense of independence so that they can aspire to go to college or whatever else they set for goals in their lives."

A special family awareness day will be on July 3, when campers will demonstrate their new accomplishments. The day will feature a barbecue provided by the Northridge Kiwanis Club, and also include a demonstration by the nation's ranking dwarf basketball team, and a demonstration by a member of the 1997 U.S. Olympic women's basketball team.

Camp is free for first-time attendees. Returning campers pay $175. Campers must be between the ages of 7 and 21, and should have fairly good use of their upper extremities (e.g. to swing a tennis or badminton racket); have supervised/assisted bathroom and feeding skills; and a bathing suit, towel, water bottle and sunscreen. Some transportation is available.

The camp is co-sponsored by the university and Adaptive Sports and Recreation, a private non-profit therapeutic recreation program.

The registration deadline is June 15, and a late fee of $20 will be charged after that date. Registration is limited to 60.

For more information, call Breit at (818) 677-3462, or Ingrid Cleffi at (805) 581-4706.