It’s nearly time for another fun summer at Future Stars with our popular Adventure Camp at Purchase College. The camp runs weekly from July 8th to August 2nd and is for boys and girls in grades 5 through 10. We’re pleased to have seasoned Camp Director, Jamie Tranchida running the program again in 2019.

Jamie has degrees in Physical Education and Fitness Development from SUNY Cortland. He subsequently earned his Masters Degree in Curriculum Development from The University of Western Connecticut.

The early years

We spoke with Jamie to get an understanding of what motivated him to become an Adventure Camp Director at Future Stars including how his role as a physical fitness educator came to be.

Jamie grew up in North Salem, New York with three brothers. Says Jamie, “Every chance we got, we would run out the door for adventures around the neighborhood, either on bikes or on foot. We would be gone for hours, wandering in the woods, playing in streams, riding our bikes, or visiting our neighborhood friends.”

Jamie recalls, how his mother would walk onto the porch to ring “the bell”, which meant he and his brothers needed to get home ASAP for dinner. “If we were out of rings reach,” Jamie explained, “she would start calling the neighbors until she eventually found us. It was an amazing time of my life and where the “adventures” all began.”

Jamie explains, that he was less-than-enthusiastic about his first camp experience as a child. Says Jamie, “I first attended camp as a rising third grader. It was a month long sleepaway camp and I was quite reluctant to get out of the car on day one. I was used to my small town and the friends that I had known since kindergarten, so it was a very big step.”

Luckily, it didn’t take Jamie long to adjust and he soon loved the camp experience.
“I can honestly say that I did not enjoy my first few hours very much,” says Jamie. “After some time, I made a few friends and got lost in the fun and adventure. I quickly took to the activities that involved team building, responsible risks, and being in nature. At that point, I had not been exposed to learning through experiences by a teacher or counselor, so it was fun for me.”

Jamie’s early camp experiences often inform how he works with the children in the Adventure Camp program. “I try to remember my camp experience when engaging the campers on their first day,” says Jamie. “I start with a team-building activity focused on the concept, Challenge by Choice.”

All campers are encouraged to take challenges they are comfortable with. It’s fun to watch them progress to things they never thought they were capable of. This year, Adventure campers will surf, kayak, sail, hike, climb, tackle ninja warrior elements, and complete high ropes courses full of zip-lines and balance obstacles. All the while, they will push themselves, develop trust in others and grow as individuals.”

“My hope is for campers to have a moment during the week where they surprise themselves with something they enjoyed or accomplished. I often prompt campers at the conclusion of each day to reflect and find that they are able to better understand what they’ve learned when asked to put it into words.”

Present-day Jamie

As an adult, Jamie’s natural curiosity led him to seek out new places, people, and adventures around the country and world, sometimes accompanied by a brother, friend or his wife.

“As a PE teacher, my schedule has allowed me time for these travels,” Jamie says, “I am now a father of two little girls, with another on the way, so for the time being my adventures are local and shorter, but just as amazing.”

Jamie went on to explain how he connected with Future Stars as a camp Director.  “When I had the opportunity to take a summer job as the Adventure Camp Director at Future Stars, I jumped at it. Future Stars gave me the chance to not only enjoy all of the adventurous activities our area has to offer, but offered the rare and amazing opportunity to share my passion for seeking new experiences through activity.”

We asked Jamie what he likes most about directing the Adventure Camp program.

Jamie replied, “Watching campers step out of their comfort zone, make new friends, acquire new skills and find confidence that, in my opinion, can only be realized through taking responsible risks makes this my dream summer job.”

We also asked Jamie, what brought him to Future Stars Camps, and how he ended up in the Director role for the Adventure Camp program.

“I was lucky enough to be recruited to work at Future Stars camp by Jordan Snider, the Director of Operations for Future Stars and the Director of the Purchase location,” Jamie said. “I taught both of Jordan’s children and that is where my connection was made.”

Several years ago, he asked if I would be interested in working the Football Camp, but I was involved in my own adventures. Then, just three short years ago, he asked, if I knew anyone who would take on the challenge of starting an Adventure Camp. He explained it would be the first year at Purchase and the director could help design the curriculum. My oldest daughter was just under one year old and I knew I was not leaving for the travels that I had grown accustomed to. I accepted the lead role and began excitedly planning.”

Jamie’s philosophy inspires our Adventure Camp program

Jamie has turned the Adventure Camp into something truly unique and special for our campers. His goal has always been for all of his Adventure campers to have new experiences. This includes meeting new people and building relationships based on trust and shared experiences.

“I hope I can inspire my campers to pursue adventurous activities as a means of living an active lifestyle long after their time at Future Stars,” Jamie explains. “As a Physical Education teacher, I have a deep interest in helping individuals find hobbies that keep them active, healthy, and in good balance.”

Leading an active lifestyle is essential to overall health and wellness. Outdoor adventure and leisure activities are great ways to check that box. The activities that we offer at Future Stars can be pursued and enjoyed for a lifetime. The counselors that I hire are certified Physical Education teachers that lead active lifestyles and pursue new experiences in their natural environment.”

Like all good educators, Jamie has a few favorite quotes that he lives by.

“My favorite quotation is difficult to narrow down as all situations call for different words, however, these 5, passed on to me by my parents and other life teachers, can cover most of what life throws at me.”

• Carpe’ Diem- Seize the day

• Leave a place better than you find it

• Treat others the way you want to be treated

• Work hard – Play hard

• Live in the moment

Jamie’s collaborative philosophy extends to every aspect of his role as Adventure Camp Director. “Working with teachers and outfitters who have a positive mindset and love new challenges are qualities and attributes that can trickle down to the campers,” Jamie explains.

“This helps them engage with a positive and willing attitude. Camper experience is impacted by our behaviors and company, so it’s important to make sure to work with like-minded individuals who put our campers needs first. A great day is when our campers are smiling and learning.”

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For more information about the Adventure Camp at Purchase college, visit our program page which includes session dates, weekly itineraries, and enrollment information.

Image Credit:  Jamie Tranchida

From June 17th through August 16th, Future Stars will once again be partnering with MacInspires, a groundbreaking STEAM Education program for kids aged 7-16.

The STEAM Program at SUNY Purchase will be directed by Travis Sluss, a Future Stars alumni and the founder of MacInspires. We spoke with Travis about his history with Future Stars and his approach to STEAM education. His answers are enlightening and thoughtful and will help you understand the STEAM program while getting to know Travis.

Why STEAM?

Travis Sluss poses with a huge 3D printed gameboy

We picked Travis’s brain about his motivation for creating MacInspires and why he’s chosen to focus on STEAM education. Technology has always been a passion of Travis’s, but he was frustrated with the lack of opportunities for kids to pursue this interest. That’s why he founded MacInspires.

Says Travis, “Throughout my life, technology and STEAM in particular have always been my passion. As a youth, it was a struggle to find places and opportunities to nurture these passions and that was a major motivating factor in driving me to open and create MacInspires.”

Travis’s vision has changed and grown over time, enabling him to watch many aspiring young people achieve a variety of different things along the way. This has been personally inspiring to him.

“As passionate makers at MacInspires, we are always learning and tinkering ourselves, which keeps all of our staff inspired,” Travis explains. “In fact, this year we are lucky enough to have another former camper and Purchase student Josh Arbo, returning to our staff!  (He will be featured here in a few weeks).

Travis’s history with Future Stars

As mentioned above, Travis attended Future Stars’ as a camper in the early 90’s. We were curious to know what he remembered about his experience here, particularly since Future Stars didn’t offer STEM or STEAM programs when he attended camp.

Says Travis, “I remember attending Future Stars as a camper when it was at Manhattanville. Back then, STEM and STEAM camps did not exist, but I remember having a great time with my fellow campers. Future Stars was a place with a lot of fond memories.”

We asked Travis to elaborate on how he reconnected with Future Stars, including how his relationship with STEAM and Future Stars evolved into the collaborative program we offer today.

Travis said, “MacInspires has been working with Future Stars for over four years and each year our community of campers and offerings grow, which we are really proud of.

STEAM Camper with a camper-built Raspberry Pi Retro Arcade

“First and foremost, we want our campers to have fun.  We also want them to learn new knowledge and skills, gaining confidence and growing in the process. We often find that as our campers explore new ideas or learn more about their existing passions, they get inspired and those “aha” moments often inspire us as well, changing our vision of what’s possible.”

The Future Stars’ STEAM experience

Future Stars often attracts legacy campers and former connections who are inspired to work with us to offer an ever-growing catalog of programs. We asked Travis to share any thoughts he had about his experience as a former camper-turned-instructor for the STEAM program.

“Every child at Future Stars has the opportunity to truly be a star,” Travis explains. “At MacInspires, we are honored to be a part of that process. The focus on all different kinds of activities while providing a fun and nurturing environment sets Future Stars apart from other camps in the area.  As mentioned, I have fond memories of the traditional camp experience at Future Stars. It’s awesome to pass that experience on to other campers.”

Future Stars STEAM Education at SUNY Purchase

The STEAM Education program at SUNY Purchase runs from June 17th through August 16th. Camps are broken up into themes and by age group. Topics range from Coding & Game Design to Robotics to Woodshop and Wearable Fashion & Technology (and much more!) You can review details on all STEAM themes as well as a schedule from a typical day (all camps include a recreational swim period, lunch, field play, and daily orientation).

Says Travis, “We want our STEAM campers to get inspired by the projects and passions they explore at camp and the way our instructors excite them about new ideas and learning.” As with most great teachers, Travis has a favorite quote, something he lives by and hopes for all who work at or attend Futures Stars camps.

“Think Different,” says Travis, “STEAM is all about creative problem solving. Thinking Different leads to amazing work that’s able to make positive change in our world.”

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For more information about the variety of STEAM programs at Purchase, or to enroll, visit our STEAM page today.

Image Credit:  Travis Sluss

Ken Krause of Life in the Fast Pitch Lane shares that the overhand pitch is an under-taught skill.  Ken shares his observation that many throwing motions whether seen in middle school, high school, or even college softball games are questionable.

“The only conclusion I can come to is that it’s not being taught. Throwing may be part of warm-ups, but it apparently isn’t a skill anyone thinks about working on. It’s more of a prelude to the “important stuff,” like fielding or hitting or running the bases.”  Ken feels that not teaching overhand throwing skills is a giant mistane.  He points out the “often-quoted figure that 80% of all errors are throwing errors”. That could be interpreted as improving teaching throwing skills could cut out 80% of errors.

He shares that if every team allocated time to specifically work on learning how to throw harder and work on  improving accuracy, a by-product could be diminishing arm injuries that come with poor throwing practices.  Here are some basics that Ken would like to see happening in throwing practice:

• Standing sideways to the target with glove arms in front, hands together in front of you.
• Begin your stride, stepping the front foot so it will land at a 45 degree angle and separate the hands by pulling the elbows apart, with more emphasis in the beginning on the glove-hand elbow. The motion should be like stretching a rubber band
• As the throwing hand goes back, turn the hand palm-down and start to make a circle. How big of a circle depends on the position and distance you will have to throw. Small circle for catchers and infielders, larger circle for outfielders.
• Land the front foot, which should be about when the glove-side elbow gets as far as it can. Then start pulling the elbow back like you’re trying to elbow someone behind you in the gut. (Be careful not to just swing it around like you’re elbowing someone in the head.)
• As the glove-side elbow begins to pulls back, rotate the hips the hips, which will help pull the shoulders in. You should feel a stretch around the stomach area if the hips are leading the shoulders properly. By now the arm should have completed the circle and be in a position to come forward.
• Continue pulling with the body, bringing the arm forward with the elbow leading, at or slightly above shoulder height.
• Drive through, allow the wrist to snap (don’t “snap” it on purpose, just keep it relaxed and allow it to happen), allow the back leg to drag up naturally, and finish with the throwing-side shoulder facing the target. That shoulder should now be lower than the glove-side shoulder.

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For details:  Overhand Throwing May Be the Most Under-Taught Skill in Fastpitch Softball

Check out:  Future Stars Softball Camps

Image credit:  Future Stars Camps

Softball for Girls shares some advice and wisdom from softball veterans for the neophytes.  It’s an opportunity to hear what the “tried and true” players and parents have gathered through their softball years of experience:

• be aware that a lot of younger players will outgrow the sport by the time they reach highschool, so be mindful of your expectations and your expenses
• some game days are just not going work at all for the team, that’s just the reality of sports
• sometimes when things don’t work on a team and you switch to another team, and the same things happen, you may want to take a look in the mirror
• most coaches are working their hardest for a team’s success and sometimes the coach may not be the best, but that’s a good life lesson to learn
• not every player is an elite player, play for the love of softball
• keep the 24 hour rule in your forefront and work on waiting 24 hours before you address a situation

Just some things to think about.  Mostly, remember that softball is fun.

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For details:  10 Travel Softball Truths

Check out:  Future Stars Softball Camps

Image credit:  Future Stars Camps

Horse Network shares tips from Clay Smith, a 25-year-old cowboy from Broken Bow, Oklahoma, who holds four-time National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifier and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PCRA) 2018 World Champion header.  No matter what your equine passion is tips on how to be a better rider and how best to work with your horse is always helpful:

• Horses need physical  and mental breaks – practice is important however, both you and your horse need to find time to escape the rigors of a schedule and find time to have an enjoyable relaxing ride.  Both of you need a break once in a while.
• Expose your horse often and early to uncontrollable events that happen at equine events.   When you know what triggers nerves, you can help them overcome their triggers.
• Sometimes no matter what you do, you just don’t get the recognition.  Give yourself ten minutes to be frustrated and upset.  Then figure out the misstep, refocus, and get right back in the ring – wiser from having learnt from your disappointment.

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For details:  We May Ride in Different Saddles But We All Mount From the Same Side

Check out:  Future Stars Horseback Riding Camps

Image Credit:  Future Stars Camps

Ellen Brunelle shared with SmartPak some of her tools of the trade that she has in her tack trunk.  Ellen has had her own horse since she was 13.  And her current, best equine friend, Nemo is a 14-year-old Morgan gelding. Ellen and Nemo spend time together having fun at jumpers, trail riding, hunter paces, and dressage.

Having owned horses for many years of her life, Ellen has acquired quite a lot of tack and horse care supplies.  Here are some of the things that she has in her tack trunk that might be of use to you and your best equine friend:

1. Vetrolin Shine – Ellen uses this daily when grooming.  Ellen finger picks instead of using a brush and finds this product loosens tangles and adds shine to hair and coat.

2. EquiFit Clean Balm – Ellen uses this product for superficial wounds and finds it helpful with tick bites.  It is easy to use and designed to kill fungi, viruses, and bacteria.

3. Sore No-More Classic Liniment – Ellen rides Nemo 5 days a week and notices that sometimes he has sacroiliac joint pant (SI) and stifle soreness.  Together with an exercise program designed to strengthen these areas, Ellen applies this liniment after rides.  It seems to help Nemo’s muscles and soft tissue to relax and recover.

4. Woof Wear Sport Brushing Boots – Ellen uses this leg protection for Nemo every day whether they are doing flat work,  jumping, or trail riding.  They are well-made, durable, and they don’t absorb water.

And here is Nemo’s favorite, SmartCookies.  Fun treats that don’t have added sugar and come in different flavors.

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For more details: Peek in My Tack Trunk: Ellen B.

Check out:  Future Stars Horseback Riding Camp

Image Credit:  Future Stars Camps