What I Did This Summer: Bridget Oder ‘23 Helps Run Otterbein Kids Volleyball Camp

Posted Aug 30, 2021

Bridget Oder
Bridget Oder ’23

By Bridget Oder ‘23
Public Relations major, Journalism/Media Communication minor 
Otterbein Volleyball Defensive Specialist 

Along with being a Public Relations major here at Otterbein, I am also part of the volleyball team. Every year, the volleyball team has a kids’ camp during the summer. Last summer, 2020, we were unfortunately not able to have our camp because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were all very excited to have the kids back in the gym this year, helping them improve their skills. 

Kid’s camp was held from June 28 through July 1, in the Clements Recreation Center and Rike Center, on campus. This camp was for kids entering grades 4 through 10. This camp is designed for young volleyball athletes to better their skills and most importantly to have fun and make many new friendships. 

During the camp, we do many fun activities. Some of the most popular activities are the six-on-six and four-on-four scrimmages. This allows the campers to have some friendly competition among newly formed friendships. 

Another fun part of camp is our morning warm-ups. The Otterbein volleyball players really enjoy interacting with the campers during this portion of the day. Some of our favorite warm-up routines include ship-wrecked, cardio rock paper scissors, and a farm animal activity. This helps the campers get loose physically and mentally, ready for the rest of the day. 

Other parts of the camp include the campers working on passing, setting, hitting, and serving. We incorporate those skills into stations, rotating each player through them all. There are about 8-10 stations, allowing one-on-one time between the campers and Otterbein volleyball players to help those who are struggling in specific areas. 

Kid S Camp Pic 2

At the end of camp each year, the kids are split up into groups of six to eight, creating teams for an all-day tournament. In each game, teams try to score as many points as they can before time runs out in only one set. The team with the most points at the end of the day is the camp tournament winner. 

Overall, kid’s camp is a great learning experience for everyone involved. It allows young players a chance to interact and learn from each other and my teammates. The Otterbein volleyball team really enjoys this camp because of the variety of ages and skills that are brought into the gym. It’s a fun time helping the campers expand their playing abilities and getting to know them individually. 

We can’t wait to have these campers back into the gym next year!