Vova grew up in an orphanage in Ukraine. He was adopted and brought to America when he was 15-years old. In 2021, he had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, where he shared his testimony at an orphanage and worked with a sports ministry for underserved children. That experience captured Vova’s heart for the Dominican people and he’s never been the same since. On another visit to the DR, Vova asked God for a vision of how he can help give opportunities to less fortunate children in the region. The D.R.E.A.M. initiative was born as an answer to Vova’s prayer.
According to Emily Wyman, a psychologist at Notting University, one of the most striking features of sports camps from a development perspective was the combination of collaborative teamwork, rules, mixed age groups, and spirit of play formulating a camp as a “whole.” This is beneficial in that it has a positive effect on the child at a young age, and by employing the skills available can also provide a positive long-term influence for teenage and adult years.
1. The Health Benefits
Potentially one of the greatest benefits of sports camps is the direct improvement in a child’s health. This positive change in their health can be obtained via exercise; however, camp activities also teach children how to exercise and remain active after completing tasks. The World Health Organization estimates childhood obesity is at an all-time high with approximately 6 billion children being affected on a global basis. To avoid placing your child at risk, it is important for the child to remain active and engage in active tasks daily.
2. The Mental Health Benefits
In addition to offering physical health benefits, sports camps for children can also offer mental health benefits for the users. Research has found that participation in sports can improve a child’s numeracy score by approximately 8% and studies with underachieving students have found a 29% increase in numeracy skills among those who are engaging in summer sports camp activities.
3. Increased Social Skills and Independence
Summer camps have been known to foster independence among the children in their programs. This benefit is due to the child being taught autonomy by completing tasks on their own; thereby, developing more social skills, increasing feelings of independence and self-confidence. Furthermore, the child is also able to learn about equal relations when bargaining overrules games and resolving situations where the rules may be considered ambiguous.
4. Gaining Self-Discipline
As children become adults, they will experience many life problems that can seem overwhelming and difficult to resolve. However, by attending a sports camp, the child can learn different problem-solving skills with perseverance to help them deal with challenges in later life.
5. Having A Good Time
While sports camps do provide several life skills, athletic skills, and health benefits, it is also important to remember that camps are focused on offering children an enjoyable experience. For the child to truly learn any life skills, it is important that they are enjoying their time at the sports camp and leave the camp with a positive feeling.