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The fields at Branch Brook Park’s Stephen N. Adubato Sr. Sports Complex in Newark are normally quiet during summer mornings.
But this year, the fields are filled with kids playing soccer, football and baseball thanks to a new summer camp opened by The North Ward Center.
Rashard Casey, the director of Youth Leadership Development program at The North Ward Center, said it was a natural fit for the organization to begin offering a summer camp, especially now that it has its own gym at St. Lucy’s Community Center.
In the afternoons, he said the campers move from Branch Brook Park to the gym on Ninth Avenue, where they can play basketball, practice their hitting in the batting cages and train with the weights.
The North Ward Center began leasing the underutilized gym from St. Lucy’s earlier this year.
“Having the gym gave us an opportunity that we never had before,” said Adrianne Davis, the executive director of The North Ward Center. “Last week, when it was too hot to go outside, we were able to hold our summer camp in the gym. It’s a great facility that gives us a lot of options.”
Stephen N. Adubato, the founder of The North Ward Center, said the new summer camp shows the organization is still growing and meeting the needs of the community 40 years after it was founded.
“The most important thing we can do is prepare our youth for the future,” Adubato said. “Offering this camp during the summer is another way we are helping the children live better lives.”
Campers range from ages 7 to 13, from various schools throughout the city. The program runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Parents can enroll their children for seven weeks for $500 or $75 for one week and payments can be made in installments.
“The parents and kids love it,” said Casey, a former quarterback on the Penn State football team. “I guess they're constantly running around and by the time it's time to go home they're sleepy.”
Camp Staffer Tave Padilla said the camp is helping to create a positive influence for Newark kids to stay off the streets and out of trouble.
“We're very well aware of what goes on outside this park and in the surrounding areas,” Padilla said. “We want the kids away from that element, we want to keep them going toward something positive.”
The camp is accepting up to 75 kids and Casey said spots are filling up quickly.
“Word of mouth got out and kids just keep on registering,” Casey said, adding that after the first week they received six more registrants on Friday, July 9.
Youth Leadership Development Assistant Director Gerard Marchese said they will be taking field trips to the Newark Bears stadium and Rotunda Pool.
Campers said that if it weren’t for the program, they’d still be sleeping, playing video games, or watching TV.
“I think I would just be sleeping until like 10,” said eight-year old Isaiah Jimenez.
Twins Anthony and Luis Rosario, 13, say they’ve enjoyed learning new skills and games at camp. Luis Rosario said he discovered soccer isn’t boring after all, and bet on the recent FIFA World Cup Final with his brother.
“I used to think soccer was boring but I found out that it's actually pretty exciting and tiring,” he said.
