University
After School Sports Connection Pools Its Resources
- Yair Robles tests the water during USC's After School Sports Connection program.
- Photo/Nathan Carter
By Lillian Insalata on July 6, 2010 8:15 AM
For those who cannot swim, summer can spell fear rather than fun. However, After School Sports Connection, a program that gives more than 1,200 local children a year the opportunity to participate in supervised athletics, holds summer sessions in which water-wary youngsters can get used to pool activities.
Funded through a partnership with USC’s Neighborhood Outreach Program, the program enables children to have fun in a safe environment and promotes a healthy lifestyle. The year-round camp offers activities such as soccer, basketball, volleyball and martial arts during the school year, and swimming during the summer.
Six USC student instructors, who are all Red Cross-certified lifeguards, lead the summer sessions, which are held in June and August.
"We only have four weeks with these kids, but their progress is amazing," said Mark Anderson, a recent graduate and After School Sports Connection instructor. "They work so hard and seeing that pay off is a great feeling."
During the lessons, held in the indoor pool in the Physical Education building, the third-, fourth- and fifth-grade participants are divided into groups based on capability. Floating on fun-noodles, beginners focus on paddling with either arms or legs, while more advanced children work on stroke technique and speed in other lanes.
"If, at the end of four weeks, the kids can put their faces in the water and blow bubbles, and maybe do some kicks, I consider that a success," said Arvin Varma, director of After School Sports Connection. "Plus, a lot of our kids repeat sessions, so they'll continue to grow as swimmers."
There is plenty of play time as well. Toward the end of each session, the children show off their best flips, dives and water tricks, and re-emerge to grin and wave at their parents in the bleachers.
"The kids jump and scream for joy," Varma said. "They can forget everything else and enjoy being kids. The parents are really happy to see that."
For more information, contact Recreational Sports at (213) 740-5127.
TAGS: community programs
Latest University stories
- Journalism Major Finds His Corner of USC February 8, 2012 11:01 AM
- Professor Strives to Expand Diversity in Teacher Education February 7, 2012 9:34 AM
- Dauterive’s Gift to Name USC Social Sciences Building February 2, 2012 4:50 PM
-
For Journalists »
-
USC in the News
for 2/8/2012 »-
The Chronicle of Higher Education mentioned USC’s $6 billion fundraising campaign. The story noted that USC had already raised $1 billion in a “quiet phase,” including the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College.
The Guardian (U.K.) highlighted two major gifts to USC in a list of the 10 biggest philanthropic benefactors in America. The list included the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College, and the $110 million gift from USC Trustee and USC Viterbi School alumnus John Mork and wife Julie to create the USC Mork Family Scholars Program.
The New York Times featured the USC U.S.-China Institute documentary “Assignment: China — The Week that Changed the World.” The documentary, part of a series, examines media coverage of the 1972 Nixon trip that reshaped U.S.-China relations after a quarter century of isolation and hostility. “People look back now and take it for granted that the outcome was preordained,” said the institute’s Mike Chinoy, who produced the documentary. Voice of America also featured the story.
Los Angeles Times featured the Oscar Senti-meter, a tool developed by the USC Annenberg School, Los Angeles Times and IBM that analyzes thousands of tweets about the Academy Awards nominees. The story noted that Mexican actor Demian Bechir received an enormous boost on Twitter the day of the nominations, with a total of 6,893 tweets mentioning him, a 47-fold increase from the day before. The story noted the tool uses language-recognition technology developed in collaboration with USC Viterbi School’s Signal Analysis and Interpretation Lab.
The Times of India (India) featured a three-day medical emergency training workshop organized in association with USC. At the workshop, held at GCS Medical College in India, 50 doctors and more than 100 paramedics learned how to improve emergency support systems. William Mallon of the Keck School of USC said that discussion topics included the use of portable ultrasonic devices to scan patients. “The ultrasound applications help physicians make accurate and timely decisions,” he noted. Daily News & Analysis (India) also featured the workshop.
-
-
Campus News
- Capital Connections
- USC faculty, staff and alumni in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento
- In Print
- New and recent books written or edited by USC faculty and staff
- Family Matters
- Achievements and awards
- Obituaries