It’s officially summertime again now that two of the biggest summer programming activities in Plant City are back in action.
The Plant City Family YMCA started its annual summer camp series June 1, shortly after Governor Ron DeSantis lifted restrictions on camps and youth sports, and is easing back into the rest of its usual youth sports programming. Though the Y’s offerings will look a little different from usual thanks to COVID-19-related safety precautions being followed around the country, things there are starting to get back to normal.
“We’re in week two of (summer camp),” Paul Conley, Executive Director, said. “We’re seeing great participation, kids are having fun, the program has been really engaging and safe. That’s what I’m most excited about — we’re seeing it in action and we’re able to run this safe and fun program.”
In a typical year, Conley said, registrations for Plant City Family YMCA youth programming start gaining steam from March through May and peak participation leads to a “robust summer” in terms of turnout. But COVID-19 blanketing the Y and the world with uncertainty in each of those months likely means that same growth period for registrations will be pushed back somewhat. Conley said registrations are on the rise now and he expects the Y to reach peak participation more toward the end of summer than the early weeks. In the case of summer camp alone, that could mean 40 to 50 kids per week.
Summer camp at the Y started last week with 28 kids and currently has 30 enrolled. The weekly camp series features a new theme each week to keep kids engaged. Last week, for example, was Olympics Week and put an emphasis on competitions and challenges. This week’s theme is “Under the Sea,” an aquatics-focused week that gets kids in the pool to swim and play games outside. Every Friday, parents are invited to join their kids for family activities using skills, games, crafts and more that campers learned throughout the week. The camp also features reading and STEM-friendly activities “to help curb that summer learning loss,” Conley said.
Swimming programs for youth are also back. Swim lessons restarted on Monday and the developmental swim team, for which the swim lesson program acts as a feeder system, is now practicing three nights a week. Families can sign their kids up for swim lesson sessions throughout the summer and, when they complete their lessons and age out of them but want to stay in the pool, they can move up to the developmental team if they’re between the ages of 6 and 12.
“You learn to swim, you keep swimming and perfect your swimming as you grow,” Conley said. “Kids can age out of swim lessons by 5 to 6 years old depending on their skills, so we want something to keep people swimming throughout their youth.”
Conley said plans for the developmental team to swim competitively against other programs are not finalized yet, but the Y will make such information available when more details are set in stone.
Youth sports will be back at the Y on Aug. 3 and families can sign their kids up now for basketball, soccer and volleyball.
Another thing the Y is trying this summer is offering clinics for young athletes. Conley and the staff have been contacting area high school sports teams about coming to the facility to host full clinics or make guest appearances to help kids get better at their respective sports. More information about the clinics should be finalized soon, Conley said, but the Y is aiming to start the clinics in July and has confirmed there will be clinics for basketball and soccer. More sports are likely to follow.
For more information about the Plant City Family YMCA’s summer programming or to sign up for any programs, camps, sports leagues and other events, visit tampaymca.org/locations/plant-city-family-ymca.
This Monday was also the first day of the Plant City Parks and Recreation Department’s annual eight-week Summer Program.
“Restricted to 50 percent of our normal registrations due to COVID-19 guidelines, nearly 90 of our 100 registered attendees were on site for opening day,” director Jack Holland said in a press release. “Due to a rainy Monday, the first day was a true test of the outstanding planning done by staff. With everyone being forced indoors all day, our spacing restraints were put to the max with a very successful outcome.”
All campers are screened before they can enter the Planteen Recreation Center: their temperatures are checked and they’re asked a series of health questions, they receive hand sanitizer when inside and are separated into groups in different areas of the center based on their age.
The eight-week program, which is for kids age 6-15, will run through July 31 with the exception of July 3, during which the department will observe Independence Day. Kids in the program get free breakfast and lunch through the Summer BreakSpot program.