Sports Academy College Wars!

Stanford University vs. University of Connecticut!

Sports Academy held its annual college wars completion last Thursday and Friday. Campers were separated into two teams, Stanford University (RED) and the University of Connecticut (BLUE & WHITE).

 Teams played against one another in every sport for a chance at points for their team. First place teams got 10 points and second place teams got 6 points. Sportsmanship points were also awarded to the team that displayed maturity and sportsmanship on and off the game.


The completion was really close and every point counted. After day one, Stanford was up 343 to 329. The competition was far from over as Friday proved to be an epic battle over who would become the champion of college wars. Teams put their heart and spirit into the games and nobody wanted to lose.


Kids really enjoyed the fun competition. Whenever a game was close it was impossible not to get excited. Campers were jumping in the air to support their teams especially when it came down to the last seconds.


After two days of tough challenges and competitions, we can only have one winner. With an incredible close final score of 613 to 608, Stanford University took the win!


Thank you to everyone who participated in this competition, and great job to all our campers. Check out our facebook to see more pictures of this epic event.

Art Show Week 3

Art Institute had their amazing art show last week and it was a great time. Family and friends were invited to see the camper’s projects that they have been working on for weeks. Campers were able to showcase their art skills with various projects. Projects included so many different types of mediums from sculpting to drawing to awesome 3D art. Check out the pictures below to see some examples.



Campers really enjoyed showing off their work especially to their parents. Smiles and laughter could be heard the whole time and campers were even able to bring home their projects after the show. The whole art studio was filled with different art projects and it felt like another world. Things hung from the ceilings and art on the floor mimicked fish in a lake. The walls were filled with different pieces and it really felt like a real art show.


Our campers really have some incredible skill. A big thanks goes to Jennifer Bini, Director of Art Institute who got everything together and made this event go with a smashing success.



Check out our facebook to see more pictures of some awesome projects.

Performing Arts Fashion Show

After a brilliant performance of a Midnight Summer Dream by the RCC Summer Camps Performing Arts campers, a fashion show was put on to showcase the beauty and confidence of campers. The girls had a lot of fun and were able to walk down the aisle by themselves, with a partner, and as a group. It was a lot of fun and a great way to show how amazing they are!

RCC Performing Arts Presents "A Midnight Summer Dream"

This session Performing Arts put on a wonderful adaptation of Shakespeare’s “A Midnight Summer Dream” (With a pop twist). After so much preparation and time put into getting ready for this play, it was great to see how amazing this show went. Parents were greeted in the theater with a fun slideshow full of fun memories over the past few weeks. People from all over camp camp to show their support from other campers, counselors, and friends. After a few minutes, the show was ready to get started with the opening act.


A special note which I thought was really awesome was the difference between our play and what would have been during Shakespeare’s time. In Shakespeare’s time, women were not allowed to grace the stage. All the women were played by men! Now at RCC Summer Camps, we had a special treat: all the men were played by women!


The show went on with a smashing success and the audience was really into the performance. Laughs could be heard and everyone had their eyes set on the stage. With only a few mess ups, every camper performed great. And it’s really important to note that some of these girls only had a week or 2 to memorize their lines, dance routines, and all the performance cues.

The Cast of Character includes

The Court

Thesus…………………………………….Kayla Newton
Hippolyta………………………………......Shaina Steir
Egeus…………………………………...…Valerie Kloenne
Helena………………………………….….Madison Mavrogiannis
Hermia…………………………………….Julia Ravenna
Lysander………………………………….Elizabeth Granholm
Demetrius………………………………..Jordan Chernick

The Fairies

Oberon………………………………..….Kimberly Snyder
Titania……………………………………Lucy Rattner
Puck…………………………………...…Ashley Ereifej
Appleblossom……………………....….Christine Williams
Peaseblossom……………………...…Emma Mandel
Chrysanthemum……………….......….Sofia Tuttle
Cobweb…………………………...……Marissa Dorsainvil
Moth………………………………....…..Carli Mallia
Mustardseed………………………...…Samantha Snyder

Mechanicals

Peter Quince……………………..….….Stephanie Roario
Nick Bottom……………………..…..….Shaina Steir
Francis Flute………………………...….Valerie Kloenne
Tom Snout………………………...….…Sydney Wideman
Robin Starveling……………………......Danielle Callanan
Snug…………………………………..…Ann Mandel

Check out our YouTube Channel to see videos of this awesome performance! 



All in all it was a very entertaining performance. Please show us your support for our next performance during week 6. Please visit our Facebook page to see more pictures and videos about this event.

Soccer Tournament Week 3

Yesterday Wednesday, July 16 we had another fantastic soccer tournament for Sports Academy campers going into grades 8-10. This tournament was organized by Soccer specialist Franz and assistant director Bianca. The event was set up as a 5 round tournament with the top four teams making it into the playoffs. Each game was 12 minutes long and each team was allowed a max of six players on the field at any time (including the goalie).

We had 5 teams in total

Team 1: White


Team 2: Blue


Team 3: red


Team 4: Orange


Team 5: Purple (Only girls team)


It was a great tournament and each team played hard to take home the championship. After a few games it was clear which team dominated the tournament. The purple team who was the only female team quickly rose to the top. With players like Amara Hatzis, Mihret Smith, and Hannah Kelly, the girls overcame every team and when UNDEAFEATED through the whole tournament. What’s even more impressive is that they only allowed one goal to get through their defenses, which was nearly impossible to break.

Overall the tournament was a great success. The championship round was between Team 5: Purple and Team 1: White. And with no surprise Team 5: Purple took home the championship title with a final score of 2-0. Amara Hatzis scored both goals during the game with amazing assistance/teamwork from her other teammates like Mihret. Sometimes it felt like they had played together for year, they were so in sync.


Teams 3: Red played against Team 4: Orange for third place with team 3 taking the third place win.

MVP goes to both Amara Hatzis and Mihret Smith who both scored many goals and teamwork lead their team to victory.

Great job to everyone who participated in the tournament! Check out our facebook to see more pictures about this event.

Imporant Camp Events for Week 3!

WEEK 3 CAMP EVENTS!!

Art Institute Art Show

When: Friday, July 18 at 11:30 am

Where: Cultural Arts Building Art Studio (Second Floor)

What to bring: Bag for art project, Tie Dye T-Shirt

Performaing Arts Theater Perforamnce "A Midnight Summer Dream"

When: Friday, July 18 at 10:00 am

Where: Cultural Arts Building Performance Theater (Entrance on the Second Floor)

What to bring: Camera (Picutres and Video)

Sports Academy "College Wars"

When: Thursday, July 17 & Friday, July 18 (ALL DAY)

Where: Sport fields and fieldhouse

What to bring: Wear team colors

For more information please email us at summercamps@sunyrockland.edu or call us at 845-574-4451.

Rockland Boulder Visits Sports Academy Week 2

The Rockland Boulders visited again last Friday and this time was able to play with the kids on our baseball field! Three different activities were set up to test camper’s skills including batting, pitching, and catching. A lot of smiles and laughing was observed the whole event. The interactive experience is exactly what these campers wanted in a baseball player visit. Kids were able to go up to the Rockland Boulder Players and ask them anything they wanted. Campers were also able to grad some autographs!


The two players to visit were Shawn Gilblair and Taylor Mangum. Shawn grew up in Windham, CT and also attended Eastern Connecticut State College. His time there was histortic, since he became the first player at his school to be named a three-time All-American. Gilblair was also voted the Division III Player of the Year twice (2007; 2009) by the American Baseball Coaches Association. Shifting over to his professional career, his best season came in 2012 with the Southern Illinois Miners of the Frontier League. His 2012 season was highlighted by a 11-5 record, 93 strikeouts over 117 IP in 19 starts, and a 3.85 ERA. He did not pitch in 2013.

Taylor grew up in American Fork, UT and also attended Utah Valley University. He has since spent the last seasons (2012-2013) playing in the Milwaukee Brewers farm system. The furthest level Mangum reached was High A last year with the Brevard County Manatees. 2013 also happened to be his best season as he had a 3.91 ERA with 63 strikeouts and five saves in 27 appearances. 2014 will be his first season in a Indepedent league and with the Boulders.
Counselor Patrick thought “This was better because of the interactive and playing with the kids.” Shout out needs to be given to T.J Lemonis who during the batting challenge was able to hit 2 homeruns! Great job to everyone!



Please check out our facebook to see more pictures from this event! Also check out the rockland Boulder website at http://www.rocklandboulders.com/home/.

African Music Comes to Creative Girls

Last Friday, Creative Girls was greeted with an amazing musical/dance opportunity from Chiku Awali organization. Our Creative Girl campers were able to learn how to drum from drum expert Gabriel Roxbury and learned to dance from dance expert Benita Roxbury. Alexandreena Dixon (Founder of Chiku Awali) also participated in this fantastic event.


The Chiku Awali African Dance, Art and Culture, Inc. of Rockland, was founded by Alexandreena Dixon in January, 2003 as a non-for-profit entity to enrich its community, particularly its youth. Chiku Awali’s mission is to promote, encourage and project civic and cultural programs and activities in Rockland County that are representative of African dance and culture. We also provide community outreach programs to local libraries, nursing homes, and rehabilitation facilities.


Campers learned and participated in African cultures. The girls were separated into two groups and each group learned to drum and dance like Western African cultures like from Mali. The drums sounded loud and in charge as the girls enthusiastically played the music with rhythm of the beat to traditional African music. The two handed drums were awesome to watch and hear, especially when the drums were made out of real goat fur! Expert Drummer, Gabriel Roxbury had this to say, “I have been drumming since I was 5. I started in the 5 start dance center. I love the rhythm and play a lot.”


“Anything you can think of you can play”. This was a quote from Gabriel who was great with the girls. Overall all the representatives from Chiku Awali were great the girls, working and teaching them as well as building an awesome connection. Shevy Oliver who is the director of Creative Girls thought “We can all use a little Rhythm”.

Although a little nervous at first, these girls quickly got the bat and sounded great after only a little practice. Check out the video below to see how everything came together. Please visit our facebook page to see more pictures from this event! Please also check out Chiku Awali’s website at http://www.chikuawali.org/ for more information about this great organization!

Sports Academy Basketball Tournament (Older tournament)

Sports Academy Basketball Tournament (Older tournament)

Last Thursday and Friday RCC Sports Academy held a competitive basketball tournament for the younger and older groups. The younger group for grades 2-5 played a 4 vs. 4 style tournament while the older group (6 – 10) played 3 vs. 3. All teams were selected randomly and played against other teams.


The tournament for the older kids got off to a great start. The epic tournament was set up as 9 rounds then the playoffs. Each team played against other teams to see how they placed in the playoffs. Once the playoffs started it was an elimination round.


Like the younger kids, this tournament was filled with great competitive spirit, and great teamwork. Each team had their own powerhouses and some games were so close that it came down to the very last second. Stephen Smith and Noah Shatkin were the dominating forces to teams 4 and 11 respectively.
Team 12 had amazing teamwork between Ariana Nobles, Yosef Elias, and Zander Schrier. They moved the ball like a team who has played for years, especially with Yosef and Zander. These two kids blew away every team, and made it to the playoffs with a 6-1 record. Team 2 was lead by Zach Bouabidi who with Marcus Ceglinski, and Julian Howell dominated the court in every game. Going UNDEFEATED for the whole tournament it’s no question that this was the team to beat.
Championship Winners!

MVP Zach Bouabidi!


The Championship round was team 2 (Coach Justin) vs. Team 12 (Coach Nick). This game was by far one of the most exciting games in the tournament. Each team was equally matched and nobody could have predicted who was going to win. After an amazing last game that played till the very last second, Team 2 won the championship!!!! MVP goes to Zach Boubidi whose exceptional talent led his team to victory. Coach John who helped organize this event had this to say, "“The purpose of this tournament was to bring campers together and keep fun expectation year in and year out in Sports Academy. The kids got a lot of experience and a better understanding of the competitiveness and teamwork involved in basketball. Overall it’s not about the mistakes, it about what you do after the mistakes. That’s what we try to promote here at the RCC Sports Academy"

What an incredible tournament and thank you for everyone who participated. Please visit our facebook page to see more pictures about this event!

Basketball Tournament (Kids in grades 2-5)

Sports Academy Basketball Tournament (Younger tournament)

Last Thursday and Friday RCC Sports Academy held a competitive basketball tournament for the younger and older groups. The younger group for grades 2-5 played a 4 vs. 4 style tournament while the older group (6 – 10) played 3 vs. 3. All teams were selected randomly and played against other teams.


The tournament for the younger kids got off to a great start. The epic tournament was set up as 9 rounds then the playoffs. Each team played against other teams to see how they placed in the playoffs. Once the playoffs started it was an elimination round.


Each team had their own powerhouses who dominated the court with their skill and sportsmanship. Nick Gamez was given the title of MVP for the tournament and was give a small gift. He led his team to numerous victories and even when faced with difficulty he never complained. His game ethic and talent showed on the court and everyone noticed him playing. Great job to Nick!


Another mention goes to Team 4 who went undefeated going into the playoff. This team comprised of Tyler Wernick, Jacob Bard, Cole Christensen, and Matt Olivo. Team 2, who called themselves “Ultimate”, said “We think we are going to the championship and taking it home.” Although they gave it their best effort they didn’t manage to take home the championship.



After nine rounds and the playoffs two teams stood on top in the championship round. Team 5 vs. Team 6! It was a great game, especially with the exciting cheers from the sidelines. Please check out this video to see the last few minutes of the championship game. After a tough game Team 5 took the win! The team was made up of Sierra Linnin, Jonathan Antolin, William Sun, and Justin Fahmi! Justin Fahmi who was a part of the winning teams had this to say about the tournament, “It was really fun because all the teams were balanced.” Sierra Linnin also commented that she thought the tournament was a lot of fun.
Congrats to this WINNING TEAM!


While the playoffs were going on, teams that were sitting out were able to play in the Hot Spot Basketball Challenge. This was a game designed to test the kids shooting ability from different spots on the court. MVP of the hotspot challenge goes to Elya Elias who scored more than 30 points in the game!

One of the creators of the tournament Coach Kevin had this to say about the tournament. “This was first for the kids, and it was a great tournament. It was set up by Coach John, Loren Marcus, George Glover, and Bianca Aloi who all had great ideas. Kids loved it and I don’t think they ever played that much basketball. All in all it pushed them further then they all came out and played hard throughout the whole tournament.

Please make sure to check out more pictures on our facebook at www.facebook.com/rccsummercamps.

RCC Summer Camps World Cup 2014!

RCC Summer Camps World Cup 2014!

Sports Academy introduced its first annual world cup tournament for our campers last Thursday! Campers from every group were separated into 6 countries. We had

Argentina (white)


Mexico


USA


Germany

Portugal

Brazil


We had a tournament for kids entering grades 2-4 and another one for the older campers. It was a lot of fun and a great way for campers to show off their soccer skills. Each team was balanced and it made for a great competition. Many games went to the last minute and came down to only 1 goal. While some teams did better than other, everyone had a great time. After an exciting day, we can only have 1 winner for each tournament. Organizer of the World Cup, Specialist Franz, wanted to “Congratulate everyone for having some great games!”

Argentina pulled off a win for the younger tournament with a final score against Mexico of 4-2. Corey from one of the teams liked how he “played different teams” and it “felt like a real world cup”. It sure seemed real enough when each game was so exciting.


Nothing yells excitement like the final game of the older tournament. Going into a shootout, this game between USA and Brazil was incredible. Counselors and coaches on the sidelines could not help but scream in support for their teams. Every minute was important as each team had their own powerhouses leading the way to victory. After two halves down and the score still 0-0, we had to move to a shoot out to determine the winner! Overall USA took down Brazil in the shootout.


Jake Miller whose talent and skill earned him the name “Messi” dominated the field in every game. While his team did not win, he needed to be noted in this blog because he was the top athlete in the tournament. When asked about the final game Jake said “We got unlucky that we hit the post” He is referencing the shootout where USA pulled ahead of Brazil because of one ball that hit the post. Overall Jake scored dozens of goals and single handedly controlled the outcome of most games.

Winning team USA had a lot of excitement as seen in this video. They played hard till the very end. MVP of USA goes to Ryan Dorsainvil whose incredible goalie skills not only brought his team to victory but was impressive enough to block Jake Miller who was nearly unstoppable. Jake Silver who scored 5 goals in his first game thought this event was fun because it got everyone together to play a world cup.


All in all we could not have asked for a better world cup. Teams played hard and their teamwork and sportsmanship made the day really fun. Check out our Facebook for more pictures and videos about this world cup!


Winning team for the Younger Tournament Argentina

 Winner of Older Tournament USA