The games begin

The basketball court at Orland's Recreation Center bustled with activity Monday with 4 and 5 year olds running around the gym.

They played indoor soccer and kick ball under the watchful eye of Recreation Director Joe Fenske and his assistants Sophie Wackerman and Chris Fenske.

It was part of the Recreation Department's Mini Sports Camp for children 4 to 7 years old, Fenske said, and it is popular on Monday and Wednesday mornings 9 a.m. to noon.

He said about 28 children have signed up this summer - working in groups.

Some participate in arts and crafts for part of the morning out at Lely Park — while others play the sports inside — then the kids switch off, Fenske said.

The little boys and girls split into the "Blue" and "Green" teams on Monday — sporting mesh tops of either color.

They ran around the gym quickly kicking the soccer ball, and some may become contenders for the World Cup one day.

Kickball also appeared fun as each child kicked the ball and ran around the bases from each team.

Next thing they knew, their parents were picking them up and taking them off to other adventures.

Wackerman will be a senior at Orland High School this fall.

She said she has worked for the recreation department every summer since her freshman year.

"I do all of the camps," Wackerman said. "I am running the tennis camp."

The children love the camps, she said. They play all kinds of games like flag tag, soccer and do the arts and crafts such as painting pictures.

Most of the youngsters were too busy to talk Monday — since even at the end of camp they grabbed basketballs and shot baskets.

Fenske said the mini-camps run Mondays and Wednesdays with the children getting a pizza lunch on Wednesday.

The camp costs $30 per child, he said.

Besides the mini camps, his department also offers sports camps for older children and has tumbling classes on Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:15 a.m. at the center. Both of those classes are full.

There also is co-ed softball, men's fast-pitch baseball, adult basketball leagues and more in the evenings at the recreation center off Hambright Avenue or at Lely Aquatic Park off Road 200.

Youth soccer at Vinson Haler Park is popular on Saturday mornings, too.

The city's swimming pool is open for the summer as well and has classes scheduled for people of all ages, he said.

There lap sessions for senior citizens Mondays and Thursdays in the day time, water aerobics and family night swims.

For more information on schedules and programs, call 865-1630 or stop by the rec center behind Lely Park.

Contact Rick Longley at 934-6800 or rlongley@tcnpress.com.