FORT DRUM, NY (August 14, 2024) – The Olympics may be over, but Fort Drum youth are still showcasing their athleticism and developing their skills at Child and Youth Services’ sports and fitness summer camps.

Josh Herzig, assistant director and camp coach of CYS Youth Sports and Fitness, said there is no better way to escape boredom than to play a fun sport with peers.

“We’re just trying to show the soldiers and their families here how much variety we offer the kids throughout the summer,” he said. “Every week it’s a different camp, so they never get bored of doing the same thing too many times. And it’s an opportunity to just do something they don’t normally get to do.”

Herzig said it also draws attention to the exemplary work of the staff and the CYS sports program itself. The coaches not only teach the fundamentals of the sport, but also create a safe environment where the children can improve their skills, make friends and have fun.

Every summer, Herzig leads two sessions of an archery camp where the goal isn’t to hit the bullseye.

“Honestly, safety is always our top priority,” he said. “As with any sport where we teach the fundamentals, we want participants to know all the safety rules from the start.”

One of the questions Herzig asks his students in a surprise test is to name the three reasons why people shoot bows and arrows. With their hands raised, they answered: “Hunting, competition and leisure.”

The students were also asked what kind of bow they practiced with. For Ladd Lambert, it was too simple.

“You can choose between crossbow, recurve bow and compound bow, and we use the compound bow,” said the eight-year-old.

They were also asked what they enjoy most about archery.

“I use my favorite prehistoric weapon,” Ladd replied.

His older brother Ephraim said he enjoyed the challenge of learning a new skill.

“It’s fun to compete, see what score I can get and try to improve,” he said.

Both brothers have signed up for two sessions of archery camp, as well as soccer camp and lacrosse camp.

“The most important lesson I’ve learned is to be a good athlete,” Ephraim said. “It’s always good to be a good athlete.”

He also learned to be quite an accurate marksman, firing the elusive balloon above the target during a competition to score extra points.

“That was the best thing in the world!” said Ephraim. “I was the only one on our team who hit the balloon.”

“It’s really amazing to see how far they come in just a day or two,” Herzig said. “In the summer we have the archery camps, but then we have our fall and spring weeks where they can really show what they’ve learned if they take the opportunity.”

And to add even more variety, Herzig took the campers to an off-site archery range that offers a wide variety of targets in a forest setting.

Liam Pettigrew had taken part in archery camp two summers ago and wanted to try it again.

“I really enjoy archery,” he said. “I like the games we played.”

A week later, Liam returned to the CYS sports grounds for lacrosse camp, where participants practiced basic catching, throwing and shooting techniques.

At golf camp, the kids learned that every club in their bag serves a different purpose, from the wedge and 7-iron to the driver and putter. They practiced proper stance, the different ways to hold a club and how to make a fluid swing.

“Everyone has different strengths,” Herzig said. “Some may be better at putting or chipping than they are at the long game. That’s why I teach the kids all the different aspects of the game so they can figure out what they’re really good at and what they still need to work on.”

The camp included London Drive and Chipping competitions where participants could test their skills.

“It’s always exciting to see them get the perfect chip in or when they figure something out and their eyes light up,” he said. “I enjoy it as much as they do.”

The children also enjoyed the mountaineering camp, where there was fishing and a high ropes course.

“We went out fishing with nine kids the first day and every single one of them caught at least one fish,” Herzig said. “I think one caught about ten fish.”

Oswegatchie’s high ropes course offers challenges at a height of 12 meters.

“It was a fantastic trip and the kids had a blast,” Herzig said. “We took seven kids that day and they weren’t afraid of those obstacles. It was pretty cool to watch.”

There are two more opportunities for children to participate in the summer camp program this summer. The four-day baseball camp begins August 26 for children ages 7-9 in the morning and for the 10-12 age group in the afternoon. A punt, pass and kick football camp is scheduled August 26-29 for children ages 6-8 in the morning and for the 9-12 age group in the afternoon.

For more information about summer camps, call (315) 772-6718 or visit CYS Sports and Fitness, Building 10790 Chapel Drive.

Photos from this year’s camps are available at www.flickr.com/photos/drum10thmountain/albums/72177720318642988.