Schools

Coach: Cougar Camps Keep Students Active

Cougar Camps, at Commack High School, ran from June 28 until Friday, providing a place for athletes to prep for the fall season and for new athletes to learn a variety of sports.

Cougar Camp finished up this week at Commack High School, with camps for basketball, soccer, football and lacrosse. Students in grades 3-9 in the district used the camps to prepare for their fall seasons, according to varsity coaches. Varsity athletes also volunteer as coaches, which helps them prep for their fall seasons, coaches said. 

The football camp for grades 3-9 taught "fundamentals," according to Chris Mele, a physical education teacher and one of the high school varsity football coaches. 

"About 80 – 85 kids participated in the football camp. It's a lot of fun. There's no pads, we have some two-hand touch games. They learn passing, catching – all the fundamentals without tackling. The varsity players volunteer as coaches for the students. Many of the coaches today were former campers, it's great," Mele said. 

Find out what's happening in Commackwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

There are 15 minute breaks for water and to maintain safety during the heat. There is a trainer in the bleachers at every camp event, Mele said. Camp runs from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Monday – Friday. 

Basketball camp ran inside the Commack High School gym during the fourth week of the camps, Charles Bauer, junior varsity girls soccer, varsity golf and soccer coach said. 

Find out what's happening in Commackwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Girls basketball is 4th – 9th grade. The best part of the camp is for them to get the exposure to the sport, learn some new skills and to stay active in the summer. Younger kids sometimes find something they are passionate about during the camps," Bauer said. 

The coaches are also high school varsity players, which provides  good role models for the younger girls, Bauer said. 

Cougar Camp is run by the Commack Union Free School District and costs $20 per day. Information is found on their website. Mele said the camps have run for the past 5 – 6 years. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here