For many young people, there is no better way to spend the summer than being outdoors on the beautiful campus of Colorado State University and staying active with new friends and camp counselors. For health and exercise science students like Ariana Bagley, being a counselor can offer experiential learning opportunities that shape your career.
This summer, the CSU Department of Health and Exercise Sciences hosted the 52North Dakota annual Youth Sports Camps, aimed at children between 5 and 13 years old. The 2022 camping season was from May 31 to August 12, with a variety of camping options offered from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.
The camps help participating youth develop knowledge about a healthy lifestyle, such as strength, flexibility and specific skills, in a fun-focused social environment. The activities promote both physical activity and social skills building friendships and trust.
This learning also extends to the directors. Bagley, a senior entering her final year at CSU, has found that this opportunity has not only landed her a fantastic summer job, but has also bolstered her leadership skills and solidified her desire to work with people and be active.
The YSC is the perfect setting for camp counselors like Bagley to get a taste of the workforce in their area of study. Bagley has a concentration in sports medicine within the department and found that “tTeaching kids the basics of the sports they love and why exercise is important is so rewarding.”
Bagley trains a caravan inside the Glenn Morris Field House
Although Bagley is working with children, these experiences can be applied to her future career working with clients of all ages. “I’ve learned a lot of leadership and interpersonal skills,” said Bagley, who aspires to become a personal trainer.
These rewarding experiences are amplified considering that for the past two years, the YSC has been limited due to COVID-19. Bagley admits that while this summer’s camp has been more challenging due to the increased capacity, “this really helped the campers socialize and learn to interact with different kids.”
Bagley and the other YSC trustees have combined their ambitions with an innate desire to help others discover the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, even at a young age. Bagley found that the children at the YSC love the games and activities and express their enthusiasm for learning every day. YSC allows children to try different activities to find the ones they love, which can set them up for a lifetime of joy in a healthy lifestyle.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned from working at YSC is that kids learn a lot from a young age,” said Bagley.
Bagley was able to apply her knowledge from her health and exercise science major to camp this summer, where she educates kids on why it’s so
important for maintaining a level of health and activity.
“As a HES student, most of our classes are about exercise, a healthy lifestyle and nutrition. With this background, we can apply those concepts and teach them to children in the hope that they will learn that a healthy lifestyle is important in life,” said Bagley.
Throughout the eight-week program, Bagley and the YSC counselors work hard to maintain expectations of fun and learning.
Bagley is outside smiling in front of Glenn Morris Field House
“Every day is always a little different, but normally in the mornings we take attendance and stretch. After that, we do small group exercises or games that are specific to the sport of the camp,” Bagley said. “Then we’ll swim and before the kids are picked up we’ll do games or larger group games to help simulate real play.”
Bagley’s work as a camp counselor reflects a deep dedication and love of helping others, teaching children that, even at a young age, a healthy lifestyle is both important and fun.
“I love seeing the smiles on their faces knowing I made a difference,” said Bagley.
the Department of Health and Exercise Sciences is part of the CSU Faculty of Health and Human Sciences.
Source: chhs.source.colostate.edu