June 4, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. –
The City of Columbia Parks & Recreation Department and the University of South Carolina will host the 2009 Summer Sports Program for youth starting this Friday, June 5th. The formal opening will be held at Weems Baskin Track off Marion Drive at 9 a.m., where representatives of the Columbia City Council, USC President’s office and athletic department will all give remarks. If there is rain, the kickoff event will be moved to the USC Fieldhouse on the corner of Marion and Whaley Streets. These camps are not open to the general public.

Every year, the program seeks to introduce youth to new recreational activities and provide them with an experience on South Carolina’s main campus. The program consists of 40-80 children who participate in various activities on Friday mornings for eight weeks, utilizing USC’s facilities, coaches and student-athletes. A different group of kids from various parks around the city will participate each week, serving over 300 participants total. Youth get to interact with the Gamecock coaches and student-athletes through track and field, soccer, basketball, swimming, equestrian, football, cheerleading and volleyball.

The City of Columbia and USC provide participants with transportation, supervision and lunch. The USC Student Affairs Department provides the facilities, equipment and lifeguards for swimming. South Carolina Athletics provides the coaches and student-athletes for motivational discussions and instruction.