MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Since 1988, the National Youth Sports Program has offered summer camp to low-income Monongalia County residents.
Dr. Jack Watson is the interim dean of the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, he says changes to facilities and the retirement of a key leader have put the ptrogram in jeopardy.
“The program has reached a point where change and new leadership is needed,” Watson said,”We’ve had a leader of this program for all 32 years and that person has retired, Dr. Dana Brooks. So, we are looking for ways to keep the program in existence.”
The program was federally funded until 2005 when WVU began to fund it.
“We need partners, we nedd individuals willing to take leadership of the program, Watson said,”And we’re going to need funding to make the program successful.”
The camp provide many activities, some for children who would have never had the opportuinty.
“The summer of 2020 camp will likely go on hiatus for one year,”Watson said,”But, we have a group of partners we are working with that really want to see this camp continue whether as the National Youth Sports Program or another name.”