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Tips for Beginner Woodworkers

Exploring woodworking?  Interested in creating your own wood project and need some guidance or tips.  The Spruce Crafts shares some things to consider before you get started:

  1. The first thing you need to do is to understand all the safety protocols for the different materials, tools, and equipment you will be using.  Purchase whatever safety equipment you will need. Then read and implement all the safety precautions that come with each item.
  2. Understand the use for each of the 10 hand tools and practice using them and always be cautious around sharp tools:

a. Hammer

b. Layout square

c. Tape measure

d. Utility knife

e. Chisels

f. Level

g. Screwdrivers

h. Sliding bevel

i. Nail sets

j. Block plane

3.  Understand the use for each of the 7 power tools and practice using them and always be cautious around sharp tools:

a.  Circular saw

b.  Jigsaw

c.  Power drill

d. Random orbital sander

e.  Table saw

f.  Compound Miter Saw

g.  Sander

Learning to work with wood, opens a gateway to creativity – wood projects encompass a variety of uses.  Find your passion.  Always be safety conscious.

***

For full article:  Getting Started in Woodworking

For more information about the Basketball Camp at Purchase, or to enroll, visit our Advanced Steam Education Camp page and scroll down to find Woodshop, today.

Image Credit: Deposit Photos

 

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Basketball for Young Children

Basketball is an easily relatable sport for young kids as they naturally love to run and jump, and then just add dribble and shoot.  Layups.com shares some skills to work on with younger children:

  • Balance is a great place to start.  Show them how to spread their feet apart, flex the legs on their knees, maintain their upper body in an upright position, with head facing in front and parallel to the ground, and flex their arms on their sides.
  • Dribbling is always fun and encourage them to learn to dribble with both their dominant and non-dominant hand.  Practice is important and being able to dribble well with both hands is key.
  • Share proper shooting techniques and ask them to observe the right form and style.  Then encourage them to shoot balls into the hoop without jumping (set shot) or while jumping (jump shot).
  • Learning to pass is important and should be encouraged.  Show them how to pass the ball and teach them to assess who they should pass to.
  • Footwork plays an important role as they start to play games.  Teach them the right way to coordinate dribbling with their footwork to avoid violations such as travelling.

Basketball can be played anywhere there is a hoop, dribbling and running can be done on most hard surfaces, play with your child and slowly introduce the skills to match their abilities.  Mostly, just have fun!

***

For full article:  Basketball Skills to teach young Children

For more information about the Basketball Camp at Purchase, or to enroll, visit our Basketball Camp page, today.

Image Credit: Future Stars Camps

 

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A Moment in the Life of Future Stars’ Campers

Welcome to “2019 Camper Moments”!  Even though our summer camp has ended, we will continue to feature campers from a variety of camps at Purchase on Wednesdays.  Please contact us with any requests to know more about Future Stars Camps at: purchase@fscamps.com

***

Meet Future Stars Camper Aidan at Basketball camp and he’s having a great time!

Farah:  When did you start at Future Stars Camps?

Aidan: This year, this is my first year.

Farah:  What camp are you in this week? 

Aidan:  Basketball, I’ve been here for 6 weeks and all at basketball camp. 

Farah:  What have you been working on this week?

Aidan:  I’ve been working on passing, my rebounds, and being a better teammate.

Farah:  What are you most looking forward to this week?

Aidan:  When the slip and slide opens back up.

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Farah:  Do you have a favorite counselor and why?

Aidan:  Max. He’s like my brother, we’re really close. He’s a good basketball coach and he has great drills. He’s also my pool counselor and when the slip and slide is open we go on together and just have a blast!

Farah:  Is there someone you look up to in sports or entertainment?

Aidan:  D’Angelo Russell because he’s a good teammate, a good shooter, and a good team leader.

Farah: What are your hobbies?

Aidan:  I’m making a huge rubber band ball right now and I like to play video games with my friends. I also get big lego sets for Christmas so I build those.

Farah:  Whats the best part of being a kid?

Aidan:  Being a kid! I really don’t know because I’m not an adult.

Farah:  What grade you going into?

Aidan:  7th grade.

Farah:  What do you most enjoy about school?

Aidan:  Being with my friends and learning something new everyday.

Farah:  Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?

Aidan:  I don’t know yet but maybe a sports broadcaster, or an analyst. or work for an agency.

Aidan:  Well, its my last week so just hanging out with my friends and saying my goodbyes.

Farah:  What is your favorite memory from camp?

Aidan:  Hanging out with my friends and winning the championships on Fridays.

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***

For more information about the Basketball Camp at Purchase, or to enroll, visit our Basketball Camp page, today.

Image Credit: Future Stars Camps

Feedly.FS.Basketball.Oct.7.2019.Edited

Teaching Tips for Basketball Enthused Parents

So, you are a very enthusiastic basketball parent, perhaps you played on your high school or your college team and basketball memories are paramount to you.  You want to share that passion with your child.  Here are some fun ways that Breakthrough Basketball suggests that you introduce the “game of your life” to your children:

  • Have imaginative contests like … Who can dribble standing on one foot?  Who can dribble with just one eye open?
  • Play “Simon Says” and include a hand signal.  Call out “Simon Says” commands and use hand signals to indicate movement to either the left or right. Looking at your hand signal will teach them to keep their heads up while dribbling.
  • Add a 20-30 puzzle game to the fun.  Use a puzzle piece as a prize for things like a layup, etc.  Put the puzzle together when done.
  • Play knockout.
  • Play dribble knockout.
  • Play horse

Enjoy this playtime with your child.  Give your child a chance to catch their passion for the sport in their own space and time.

***

For full article:  7 FUN Ways for Parents to Practice and “Sneak In” Basketball Skills with their Kids

For more information about the Basketball Camp at Purchase, or to enroll, visit our Basketball Camp page, today.

Image Credit: Future Stars Camps

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How Do Tennis and Swimming Work Together?

Speedo shares an interview with Andrew Fitzpatrick, pro tour’s youngest 27-year-old tennis coach.  Mr. Fitzpatrick encourages adding swimming and other off-court exercises to tennis players’ regimens to improve their on-court abilities.  Here is a summary of why Andrew feels that swimming is good for tennis players:

  • Swimming is good for all sports in terms of rehab.
  • Low-impact swimming is great exercise to stay active while recovering from injury and for prehab.
  • Swimming is a preventative exercise against injury.
  • Swimming is appealing to tennis players as it brings variety to repetitive tennis drills.
  • Swimming is particularly good for joints and shoulders.
  • Tennis players spend a lot of time on hard surfaces, so a pool gives them a change to loosen up.
  • Swimming is a low impact sport and yet it is challenging and and provides a full body workout.
  • Using weights on your feet while walking from one side of the pool to the other  builds leg muscles.
  • Swimming is good for shoulder and back muscles.

“Years ago, tennis was just about what happened on the court, but now it’s more about what the coach and players are doing off the court, so everyone is trying to get that edge through fitness.”

***

For full article:  Why Swimming is Key to Success on the Tennis Court

For more information about the Tennis Camp at Purchase, or to enroll, visit our Tennis camp page, today.

Image Credit: Future Stars Camps

 

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A Moment in the Life of Future Stars’ Campers

Welcome to “2019 Camper Moments”!  Even though our summer camp has ended, we will continue to feature campers from a variety of camps at Purchase on Wednesdays.  Please contact us with any requests to know more about Future Stars Camps at: purchase@fscamps.com

***

Meet Future Stars Camper Nicole, I met her at tennis camp and she’s been coming to Future Stars Camps for quite a few years!

Farah:  Hi Nicole! Thank you for sitting down with me!  Is this your first year at Future Stars?

Nicole:  No, this is my fourth summer.

Farah:  How old were you when you first started coming to camp here?

Nicole:  I was 7 years old when I started.

Farah: Do you have siblings?

Nicole: Yes , I have 3 siblings.

Farah: Do they come to camp?

Nicole:  This is all their first year. My little sister is coming to tennis as well, then soccer. My other sister is at soccer camp and my brother is at basketball camp now and then he will be at soccer camp.

Farah:  Do you play any other sports besides tennis?

Nicole:  I swim, sail, and play volleyball, basketball, and rugby.

Farah:  Who is your favorite athlete?

Nicole: Michael Phelps

Farah: What’s your favorite food?

Nicole: Club sandwich

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Farah: What grade are you in and what do you most enjoy about school?

Nicole: I’m in 7th grade. I most enjoy when school is over and I can come to camp!

Farah:  What are you most looking forward to this summer at camp?

Nicole: Playing tennis,

Farah: What is your favorite camp memory?

Nicole:  We did the ice bucket challenge 4 summers ago and we dumped it on one of the coaches!

Farah:  That sounds like fun for a great cause.  Good meeting you and thank you so much for sitting with me.  I hope you have a great summer!

***

For more information about the Tennis Camp at Purchase, or to enroll, visit our Tennis camp page today.

Image Credit: Future Stars Camps

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Bucket or Hand Fed Tennis Balls?

Todd Widom of TW Tennis shares his thoughts about bucket or hand fed tennis balls for tennis training.  Here are some of his thoughts:

  • both bucket and hand fed tennis balls have their place in beginner training to develop skills the individual child needs work on
  • it is important to note that in live play, balls come at you from with different spins, heights, trajectories etc., making it important to be exposed to a variety of balls coming at you
  • live ball practice is an important component as it trains a child to read the ball and works on their anticipation skills

Here are some things that live play practice works on:

  • as ball speeds differ in live play, your child will learn to adapt their swing and move around to meet the ball
  • seeing a ball coming from the opponent’s racquet allows them to prepare for their own racquet and movement response
  • live ball play imitates tournament matches more closely and therefore provides an opportunity for more realistic training exercises

***

For full article:  Has your Child Been Bucket or Hand Fed Too Many Tennis Balls?

For more information about the Tennis Camp at Purchase, or to enroll, visit our Tennis camp page, today.

Image Credit: Future Stars Camps

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Field Hockey Players, Avoid These Mistakes

Hockey Performance Academy shares some common mistakes that field hockey players make before they even start to play.  How can you make mistakes before you even start to play?  Quite simply, some of the things that hold you back are not your athletic skills but your state of mind.  Get to know them so you can work on avoiding them:

  • Not working on confidence levels – take control and work on your confidence, don’t allow events, people, etc. to dictate how you should feel.
  • Bringing life’s stressors onto the field – once you suit up, leave everything else behind and concentrate on the game.
  • Focusing on others and not yourself and your role – don’t overthink things and concentrate on yourself and your role in the game.
  • Don’t let worrying about the outcome override your concentration on your abilities, moves and skills to be the best player that you can be.
  • Don’t allow what others are thinking and saying to affect your confidence and play.
  • Never let the fear of failure overwhelm you.
  • Stop expecting to be perfect.

Being a good player requires both a healthy mental attitude and practiced and developed playing skills.

***

For full article:  7 Mistakes Field Hockey Players Make Before They Even Start Playing

For more information about the Field Hockey Camp at Purchase, or to enroll, visit our Field Hockey Camp page today.

Image Credit: Future Stars Camps

 

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A Moment in the Lives of Future Stars’ Campers

Welcome to “2019 Camper Moments”!  Even though our summer camp has ended, we will continue to feature campers from a variety of camps at Purchase on Wednesdays.  Please contact us with any requests to know more about Future Stars Camps at: purchase@fscamps.com

***

I stopped by Field Hockey Camp and met 5 young ladies and asked who would be interested in being interviewed and they all agreed to do it together.  Meet Keara, Kate, Sofia, Bella, and Eve.

Farah:  When did you start at FS? 

Field Hockey Campers:  We all started on Monday except for Bella.

Bella: I’ve been here for 3 years. It’s my first time at Field Hockey camp. I used to do Swim camp.

Eve: I started in kindergarten and then took and break and came back last year. Last year, I did field hockey, too.

Farah: How long are you here for?

Field Hockey Campers:   Some of us are here for one or two weeks of field hockey and one of us is going to Lacrosse camp next week.

Farah:   What have you been working on this week?

Field Hockey Campers:  We’ve been working on passing, hitting, drills and games. Teamwork. 

Farah:  What is your favorite part of this week?

Field Hockey Campers: Games and scrimmages. It’s fun to practice all the things you’ve been working on. Mini games!

Farah:   What are you most looking forward to this week? This summer?

Field Hockey Campers:

  • Getting better at field hockey.
  • Learning new skills and seeing the improvement.
  • I just started playing so its been really fun and helpful.
  • It’s also really good to practice before school starts.

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Farah:  Do you have a favorite counselor? 

Field Hockey Campers:  We like both of them. They’re really good coaches, they teach you a lot and they challenge us, but at the same time they are very easy going. They don’t ever yell at you if you’re wrong.  They just share a  better way to do it. 

Farah:   Is there someone that you look up to or admire? 

Field Hockey Campers:  

  • A family friend, she lives in England and she got 7 field hockey scholarships to college. 
  • Probably, my mom because she played in college and she coaches now.  My mom also teaches me stuff. 
  • My sister because she’s been doing it for a couple years and the only family member that plays field hockey. 
  • I also pick my sister because she’s really good at field hockey and she’s been captain for a few years. She teaches me what to do. 

Farah:  What is the best part of being a kid?

Field Hockey Campers:  You don’t have to make life decisions yet, and you don’t have to stress out about everything. There’s also not a lot of pressure. You don’t have to worry about making money or going to a job. 

Farah:  What grade are you in?

Field Hockey Campers:   Two of us are going into 6th, two others to 7th, and one of us is going to 9th.

Farah:   What is your favorite memory from camp? 

Field Hockey Campers:

  • My favorite memory was when we first started because it was so much fun to try a new sport for the first time. 
  • Meeting everyone, scrimmaging, and lunch time because we get to talk with friends.
  • Meeting new friends and bonding with the teammates. 
  • Playing games and meeting friends.
  • Meeting the coaches because they’ll always be my favorite.

***

For more information about the Field Hockey Camp at Purchase, or to enroll, visit our Field Hockey Camp page today.

Image Credit: Future Stars Camps

 

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Beginning Field Hockey?

You’ve decided to learn something new and you have picked field hockey.  Revolution Camps shares some tips for beginners:

  1. Pick up a good stick from the get-go.  Composite sticks are a good choice as they will give you more command and control of the ball.
  2. Work on your stick skills consistently with drills for dribbling, dodging, hitting, and tackling.
  3. Spend time watching live games or on video.  Observe the different positions and what they do.  Often times, it is what they are doing when they don’t have the ball that makes them a solid player.
  4. Join a team or sign up for a camp.

Welcome to the world of field hockey!

***

For full article:  4 Tips for Beginning Field Hockey Players

For more information about the Field Hockey Camp at Purchase, or to enroll, visit our Field Hockey Camp page today.

Image Credit: Future Stars Camps