Sizzling summer fun at South Shore Camps in East Rockaway

It was a summer of fun and learning at the 31st annual South Shore Camps in East Rockaway, where hundreds of children and teenagers participated in two weeks worth of sports and activities under the summer sun.

The basketball camp had 65 participants this year, while softball generated 40 campers in its ninth year and the summer playgroup had 130 attendees in its 30th year. For the first time, South Shore Camps offered a baseball camp, where 30 children learned the skills and nuances of the sport.

“I’m proud of my camp’s staff and appreciate the kind words from parents and kids, regarding the good time the kids had this summer,” Camp Director Joe Lores said. “I look forward to seeing them all next summer.”

The camp is open to children and teens age 4 to 16 and serves East Rockaway and its surrounding areas. Lores founded the camp more than three decades ago to get children into sports and to provide them with activities to participate in while they are on summer vacation from school.

Activities in the playgroup included a talent show, arts and crafts and sports, while those who participated in the baseball and softball camps learned the fundamentals of the game, including hitting, fielding and sliding properly, and played games against one another. The basketball camp also focused on games and drills to help campers hone their skills.