Last Day-Best Day

Last Day-Best Day! Although today was the conclusion of our five-day intensive program, the athletes' energy was as strong as ever. The morning started out with the ultimate Vitamins session: obstacle course relays! The heated competition was between Team Blueberry Waffles and Team Arctic Fox. In a last second effort, Team Blueberry Waffles pulled out the victory. This intense competition was followed by the morning discussion of the theme of the day which was BALANCE. We challenged the student-athletes to work on prioritizing and balancing family, school, athletics and friends during this upcoming school year. Here at SportsChallenge, our motto is "Skills for Sport. Skills for Life." We truly believe that what the student-athletes learned here over the course of our program applies to their every day challenges. We sent the student-athletes off with one final, all encompassing theme for the upcoming school year: INTEGRITY. The purpose of this last theme is to encourage the programmers to consistently practice honesty at home, in the classroom, and on the field/court.

The High School Prep Leadership Program was not only a valuable experience for our athletes but also for our coaching staff. We always feel that leaving the program makes us better people because we learn from the student-athletes just as they learn from us. They make us better coaches and teachers as they also challenge us to become better leaders. We hope to see every student-athlete back next summer whether it is here at HSPLP or the Summer Academy! Three claps for a great week! :o)

White Team ends losing streak at HSPLP

Today was the first ever SportsChallenge Games at the High School Prep Leadership Program. For those of you involved with SportsChallenge, you know this was a very exciting day, especially, those of you who have been on the White team in the past.

The Blue team was off to a quick lead with a phenomenal entrance that continued with a very creative team cheer.





Entering into the first game of dodgeball, both teams were energetic and ready to play. The White team was out of the gates and ready to go while the Blue team was caught on their heals. No matter how much the Blue team tried, they just couldn't fight off the rocket fire that White was bringing. Just a quick side note, SportsChallenge dodgeball, as some know, is not your traditional dodgeball game. Of course, there is the traditional hit each other with the ball, but there is also an opportunity to bring back your wounded players by one of two things: knocking over a series of cones with a soccer ball or by throwing a ball through a very small circle handing by the crossbar. Needless to say, the game was high energy and definitely had some twists. Check out the White team as they get ready for the first game.





After three intense games, dodgeball ended in a tie, yet the Blue team was still in the lead entering the final competition, the water balloon toss. The Blue team just did not have soft enough hands as White took first, second, and third place.





In attempts to get some last minute points, the Blue team moved into a beautiful pyramid formation while showing some Blue team love with cheers.



Despite attempts made by the Blue team, in the end, the White team came away with the win for the first time in SportsChallenge history. Congratulations White team.







Tomorrow is the last day of SportsChallenge High School Prep, so make sure to stay tuned for the exciting activities and events that will take place.

Thank You Vitamin Water

Here at SportsChallenge, we start everymorning with a speed and agility we call Vitamins. Luckily, this year we've also had the opportunity to provide the student athletes with real vitamins, curtesy of our sponsor Vitamin Water. Vitamin water has set us up with drinks for all of the student athletes, as well as coolers to keep them all cool in. The athletes pick up a bottle every day after athletics on their way to their Sports Leadership class. Early word is that lemonade is their favorite flavor. Three claps for Vitamin Water!

Amazing Advisory

The advising system at SportsChallenge allows for incredible relationships to be built between player and coach over the period of just a few days. While every staff member makes a point of trying get to know all the players, the relationship between advisor and advisee creates phenomenal teaching opportunities and enables deeper bonds to be build between player and coach. 

Here at the High School Prep Leadership Program (HSPLP) advisor to player ratio has come out to an almost unheard of 1:2 (well, really 1:1.89). The personal attention that can be given to each player makes teaching athletic fundamentals much easier on both the teacher and the student. Just this morning the basketball program worked on shooting form. With six top of the line hoops and seven advisee groups, the players got more reps in than they could have at any other program, and they got the personal attention of some fantastic coaches armed with both a knowledge of the game and a understanding of how to reach out to their advisees.

Unlike the traditional 'camp', SportsChallenge is built on relationships, and the HSPLP has provided a great chance for coaches and players to get to know each other's games and personalities very quickly.

SportsChallenge is awesome.

-Coach Matt Deasey

HSPLP Soccer

The soccer sessions at HSPLP are intense and competitive. Student-athletes are working on individual technical skills in the morning and playing small sided games and scrimmages in the afternoon. Yesterday they learned strategies for defending in one v. one and two v. one situations.  The student-athletes were aggressive and did well on body positioning. Despite some hard tackles and painful falls while working on defense, our soccer players remained tough and resilient through out the day. This morning soccer players worked on shooting technique. They are learning to keep their ankle locked and place their planting foot next to the ball when shooting. We played a competitive game of power-finesse. Lots of goals were scored and challenges made. It is amazing to hear the student-athletes on the field- they encourage each other and even compliment others who are not on their team. I can't believe there is only two more days left- time FLIES when you are having FUN!

-Coach Morris

It's getting loud!

It was loud today at SportsChallenge. Basketball players calling out "great pass", soccer players calling out "awesome touch, nice through-ball", students frantically describing pictures to their partners during leadership classes. All over campus, student athletes were fully embracing today's theme of communication. The bar was set high in the morning community forum, where Chef/Coach Edwards struggled to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while taking directions from our brave volunteer Doris. The theme was stressed throughout the morning sessions, and the basketball program exemplified communication as they ran flawless three man weaves up and down the court. The soccer program had some fierce competition, and the pentagon games continue to heat up. Check out the action from today in the pictures below.

Coach Polykoff works with Robert on his form

Nigel describes a picture to Tatianna in leadership class
Saul and TJ try the same activity.
Dee gets some love from Coach Arenberg after a great defensive stop.

The basketball staff represents their dribble goggles.
Deandre practices some dribbling skills.

Gerbils lead Pentagon Challenge

The sun was out and the student- athletes were eager to perform the skills they learned in this mornings session, which consisted of foot skills with Coach Galvan and Morris and ball control with Coach Berg and Noah.

Ready to go, after a quick warm up, we went right into a small sided scrimmage where the programmers really took risks whether it was by communication with new teammates, attempting new skills or playing tricky passes through and over defenders. Check out some pictures below!

Yonah gives a great header back to a teammate.

Carlos breaks away toward the goal.

The afternoon did not end there, the competitions and fun continued as the coaches introduced the first ever Pentagon Challenge.

What is the Pentagon Challenge?

• The first week long point series at SportsChallenge specifically within the soccer program.
• Five competitions, to represent the five points of a pentagon, will take place, one at the end of each afternoon athletics session.
• Two teams are battling to obtain the most points to reign as the winners of the Pentagon Challenge.
• The winners will be announced Friday after a day of extreme competition.

Meet the Teams

• Barcelona: Sam, Dee, Carlos, Renee, Elsa, Reid and Emely

• The Gerbils: Yonah, Doris, Saul, Dalia, Edia, Joesph, Cierra

Challenge One

The first challenge was the shooting and teamwork game called the Two-minute Drill. Each team has two minutes to score as many goals as possible. Players have to work through the pressure and work together to remind teammates on where they need to be during the drill. After an intense battle, Barcelona and the Gerbils were tied. A one-minutes overtime session left the Gerbils as the champions taking home ten points for their team.

Stay tuned as the soccer programs continues to work hard this week and find out what happens with the Pentagon Challenge Standings!

High School Prep 2009

High School Prep has officially begun! At Trinity College, in Washington, DC, the soccer and basketball programs got underway with their first practice session this morning. Sporting their new bimini blue shirts, the students athletes jumped right into action with morning vitamins followed by a brief morning meeting, where the theme of the day was introduced with a lively skit done by Coach Garcia, Berg and Grell. Risk is today's theme, and just by being here the student athlete's have taken the first big risk. Basketball and soccer coaches alike were psyched about the way student athletes were already taking risks in their sessions by being on their toes, meeting new people, and vocally encouraging one another. Check out some photos from the morning session below.

Deandre and Alex work on shooting under pressure.

Jamile plays defense against Deandre

Renee shows off her Passing skills and movement off the ball.

Elsa smiling big for the camera. Looking good!

Yonah shows great control heading it back to his partner.

Stay tuned for more SportsChallenge High School prep action throughout the day. Kids are finished up with their leadership class and heading to lunch to refuel for Sports Psych and their second athletic session of the day.

Check this out!!

Summer Academy student-athletes are featured on the website FairGameNews.com. Check it out now!

SC Attracts Programmers from Ireland

Shane Jennings (boys soccer) and Ciaran Ashe (Boys basketball) travelled across the pond from Ireland to be part of the SportsChallenge Program. Both athletes are a great addition to the SportsChallenge summer academy on the field/court and in the classrooms. Jennings was a red shirt winner on Wednesday. For those of you who are not familiar with red shirts, it is when an athlete shows exceptional leadership throughout the day whether it be in training, the classroom or in the cafeteria.

Check out the article below:

SC Rocks

My name is Shannon L. and I am from Philadelphia, PA and I am a new student here at Sportschallenge. This experience so far has been challenging and has made me become a better player and student. I have been to basketball camps throughout my life, but this tops them all. I have learned to become a LEADER and to associate with different people from outside my race. My basketball teammates are wonderful and the coaching staff is the BEST. Inside the classroom is especially a wonderful experience because we learn many different things. In my classroom we are creating a movie, which is going to be a major hit, by the way. Before I leave I would like to bring up that the word TEAM means a lot to me,  but here at Sports Challenge I came to realize that TEAM means Train, Endure, Achieve and Matter. Again my name is Shannon L. and I am a Junior and can not wait until the next camp of Sports Challenge in 2010.

P.S. : THE WHOLE ENTIRE SPORTS CHALLENGE STAFF/STUDENTS

                                                                                        "ROCK"

Shannon L. (Age 16)

Philadelphia, (girls basketball program)

Soccer Energy. Focus and Fun

Yesterday was all about using our heads in the morning girls soccer session. We focused on learning proper heading techniques while having fun. We started the day off with extremely high energy which set the stage for the rest of the day. After warm-ups we got into our elective rotations:

- Attacking Headers
- Defensive Headers
- Passing Headers

In the attacking elective we focused on diving headers. All the girls learned proper form for flying through the air. As one set of girls was busy taking flight, our second group was focused on taking a power step and exploding through the ball to get it up and over the attacking players in front of them in a game of "Monkey in the Middle". The girls got serious height and distance on the ball by using every inch of their body to generate power. In the third and final elective, the girls worked on passing and directional headers. We played an exciting game of "Train" where we lined up one behind the other and had to head the ball behind us, with the correct accuracy and pace for it to make its way to the end of the line. In each of the electives the coaching staff incorporated exciting games so the girls could enjoy learning or improving each skill.

Finally, we combined the three electives for a competitive game of "Heading Wars" where we got into teams of two and battled for the top spot. the girls and coaching staff tried different combinations of power, diving and passing headers to get the ball passed their opponents. The game was full of encouraging words of support and of course friendly "smack Talk" between all of the teams.

-Coach Celeste Roberts (former student-athlete 2004 & 2005)

Break Day No Break Down

The "break day"  has brought with it an air of serenity throughout the campus. Enthusiastic smiles and waves have replaced whistles and beats from the boom bucket. After three consecutive mornings of grueling 7am vitamin sessions and two-a-days, the student athletes (and the coaches) have come to appreciate the value of a few extra hours of sleep.  

The sustained physical effort and mental focus required by the SportsChallenge experience makes the importance of rest very clear. Morning options for recovery activities include: movies in the auditorium (with AC of course), yoga (both bikram and flow), and a relaxing dip in the pool. 

Enlightened planes are the only areas in which standing is encouraged. 

In addition to relaxation, the break day schedule includes time for individual meetings between student athletes and advisors. In these meetings, the student athletes have the chance to assess their progress towards the goals they set earlier in the week and set up an action plan for the final four days of the program. As both a coach and former student athlete at SC, I've found the SMARRTE goal setting rubric to be one of the best resources the program has to offer. 

The uniquely spelled acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reach/Realistic, and Effort: by making goals within this framework, student-athletes and staff alike use a specific measuring stick  for everything that they do at SportsChallenge--and beyond.

-Coach Matt Deasey

Pictures from the Pitch

The soccer guys and girls were in full action today - check out the pictures below.  

Christelles clears the ball from the back.
Lali tries to stop Iman (red shirt winner today!) from scoring.
The soccer guys are excited for their volleying!

Fransisco lines up a kick
Alex hones in on a shot.

Kenya lays out to boot a ball.

The soccer staff is having a great time with the girls!

Mid Day Checkup - Student Athlete Edition

  I took one step on campus not knowing what to expect. I didn’t know if camp here at sports challenge would be intense or easy. Since I have been here I learned to open up, talk, and experience difference. At sports challenge I believe the focus here is to learn to be a leader. Since I have been here I learned to be a leader and make a difference. Each day we are given themes to accomplish. Those themes are Risk, Vision, Empathy, and Communication. I can honestly say I have made it my business to incorporate each and every theme. Now when I go back to my home town which is Philadelphia I can share what I have learned and hopes learn to. 

In practice today we focused on communication. Coming to sports challenge has helped me communicate with my teammates and roommates alike. When I first came to sports challenge I was shy and quiet. The participation level was low on my part and I was unfocused. By the second full day of sports challenge my confidence was booming and I felt more focused and comfortable on and off the court. I am able to communicate verbally and non-verbally with my teammates on the court, which forms me into a better player. I really want to bring these qualities of communication and risk back to my team at home. I will only be a junior but I am now willing to step up and lead my team with the activities and qualities that sports challenge has given me. Taking risks and communicating have guided me at sports challenge to not only feel comfortable physically on the court but to feel stronger mentally.

Emily D. (Age 16) 

Philadelphia, (girls basketball program)

Sports Challenge is an overall amazing experience. You get to meet some amazing people and coaches. Rather than focusing on just sports, which is still a big part of it, they get people to open up and “step out of their comfort zone”, interact with people that you just meet and learn to be a better person in and out of sports. Even though sports challenge is very exhausting, getting up early everyday and getting our vitamins in and the athletic sessions twice a day, they always add in very fun activities and everyone has a blast. 

--Travis Norton (Age 17)

San Diego, (boys soccer program)

Hump Day - Communication Day

The sun is making it's way out here in Middleton, and SC is pumped for another great day.  Check back throughout the day for some more student bloggers, some more pictures, and hopefully a few more great stories to tell.  

Tuesday in Pictures

Here are some shots from all the action that took place Tuesday at SC.  

Franscisco lines up for a shot.
The girls basketball team braves the rain to workout with the soccer team.
Shane, all the way from the UK, blasts a shot!
Jesse, red shirt winner for the day, clears the ball
Visiting Coach Stan Brunson talks with Coach Edwards about the intricacies of post play
The boys basketball staff gives Coach Roach a hand.

Malcom shows off some moves

Athletes and Coaches excited for lunch!
Some soccer players prep for evening forum.
Katie comes down to collect her red shirt.
The basketball staff discusses the college recruiting process at a panel discussion.
Psych 106 finds itself in a human knot in life!

Check back later today for more action from Wednesday!