NewsAthleticsSummer ProgramsCross Country
Members of school community volunteer at youth track camp in Ukraine
Sep 8, 2009 1:20 PM
By Tannika King - Faculty
As distance track and head cross country coach for Darlington School, Alan Parish is very familiar with motivating young athletes. However, his experience volunteering at a youth track and field camp in Kiev, Ukraine, this summer with current student Margaret Hjort (’11), her mother Emily, and alumna Grier Fricks (’08) was nothing short of amazing.
The camp, called “Running for Life: Faith, Health and Track & Field,” took place June 15-20, and provided an opportunity for underprivileged youth to learn about the sport of track and field as well as about physical and spiritual health. Funded entirely by private donations, Running for Life drew approximately 20 kids each day who ranged in age from 12 to 16.
“They all attend school, but are not involved in competitive sports leagues – not because they aren’t good enough, but because they don’t have the opportunity,” said Parish, who co-founded the camp this year with Steve Nelson, a former Georgian now living in the Ukraine. "These kids' athletic experiences are limited to P.E. classes in school and pick-up games in the local parks. We wanted to give them an outlet to get involved in sports, specifically running, that they would not have otherwise.”
Parish added that the camp was a huge success, even though the campers were much more interested in playing Ultimate Frisbee than running. “It was a new game to them, but they learned it quickly and fell in love with it,” he said. “We taught it because it involves running and the only piece of equipment you need is a Frisbee disc. We also played basketball and soccer during the week.”
However, the campers did run daily. Parish introduced them to “dynamic warm-up,” a series of exercises he does before practices with Darlington’s cross country team. “Once they knew the basics, we ran 15 minutes the first day,” he said. “The rest of the week, we headed off into the forest that bordered the school where there were miles of great running trails. Some kids ran as much as 30 minutes a day. We also taught them a few things about track and field.”
At the end of the week, volunteers held a small track meet that included six events: girls 400 meters, boys 400 meters, girls 100 meters, boys 100 meters, boys 800 meters and a co-ed 4 x 400-meter relay. Parents were invited to attend as well.
“The kids really enjoyed it,” Parish said. “Many parents who came saw their kids competing for the first time, and would have never imagined their child would enjoy running!”
The camp, called “Running for Life: Faith, Health and Track & Field,” took place June 15-20, and provided an opportunity for underprivileged youth to learn about the sport of track and field as well as about physical and spiritual health. Funded entirely by private donations, Running for Life drew approximately 20 kids each day who ranged in age from 12 to 16.
“They all attend school, but are not involved in competitive sports leagues – not because they aren’t good enough, but because they don’t have the opportunity,” said Parish, who co-founded the camp this year with Steve Nelson, a former Georgian now living in the Ukraine. "These kids' athletic experiences are limited to P.E. classes in school and pick-up games in the local parks. We wanted to give them an outlet to get involved in sports, specifically running, that they would not have otherwise.”
Parish added that the camp was a huge success, even though the campers were much more interested in playing Ultimate Frisbee than running. “It was a new game to them, but they learned it quickly and fell in love with it,” he said. “We taught it because it involves running and the only piece of equipment you need is a Frisbee disc. We also played basketball and soccer during the week.”
However, the campers did run daily. Parish introduced them to “dynamic warm-up,” a series of exercises he does before practices with Darlington’s cross country team. “Once they knew the basics, we ran 15 minutes the first day,” he said. “The rest of the week, we headed off into the forest that bordered the school where there were miles of great running trails. Some kids ran as much as 30 minutes a day. We also taught them a few things about track and field.”
At the end of the week, volunteers held a small track meet that included six events: girls 400 meters, boys 400 meters, girls 100 meters, boys 100 meters, boys 800 meters and a co-ed 4 x 400-meter relay. Parents were invited to attend as well.
“The kids really enjoyed it,” Parish said. “Many parents who came saw their kids competing for the first time, and would have never imagined their child would enjoy running!”
