The research is overwhelming: Kids benefit from participating in sports. There’s no better time to unleash your child’s inner athlete than during the long, balmy days of summer. In this – the second of four Best Bets to explore local summer camps – we look at several popular camps dedicated to sports and athletics.

Vetta Sports – Summer Sports Camp
Multiple Locations
314-842-3111
www.vettasports.com
One of the more comprehensive sports summer camps in the region is provided by Vetta Sports. With five locations throughout the St. Louis area, Vetta also offers a level of convenience most other camps can’t match. Although the exact activities vary by location, participants can expect to play sports ranging from soccer and basketball to kickball and flag football. Other activities include movies, arts and crafts and even laser tag. Sessions are generally a week long, but a few are offered for three and four days. Camp hours vary by location.

St. Louis Gym Centre – Summer Gymnastics Camps
315 W. Pacific, Webster Groves
314-968-9494
www.stlouisgymcentre.com
Options abound for local gymnastics summer camps, but when it comes to experience, it’s hard to beat St. Louis Gym Centre. Established in 1973, the venue is the oldest private gymnastics club in the area, and many of its students have gone on to achieve big things in the gymnastics world. The St. Louis Gym Centre offers a range of summer camp options including full-day weeklong sessions for boys and girls ages 5 to 12. Half-day camps and a popular Art/Gymnastics camp also are available. Camps run from June through August.

Baskin Farm Summer Camp
18124 Baskin Farm Drive, Wildwood
636-458-5053
www.baskinfarm.net
Horseplay tends to get a bad rap, but not at Baskin Farm in Wildwood. This full-service equestrian facility offers year-round programs for horse lovers of all ages. During the summer, Baskin Farm puts the focus on kids with their weeklong camps aimed at those ages 7 to 14. Campers receive daily riding instruction, learn about riding equipment, witness blacksmith demonstrations and assist in grooming and bathing the horses. Camps run throughout June and July.

Bucky Dent’s Baseball School – St. Louis Camp
Kirkwood Athletic Association
2377 Marshall Road, Kirkwood
561-265-0280
www.buckydentbaseballschool.com
Over the past few years, the St. Louis Cardinals have put a good deal of money behind their “Play like a Cardinal” ad campaign. Now kids can do just that at the St. Louis Camp of Bucky Dent’s Baseball School. The camp offers two weeklong sessions this summer: June 6 to 10 and June 13 to 17. The camp is open to kids ages 7 to 15 and sessions run throughout the week from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tomorrow’s Stars Soccer Camp at Midwest Soccer Academy
5247 Fyler, St. Louis, MO 63139
314-781-8493
www.mwsa.info
Score big with your soccer-loving youngsters by enrolling them at the Tomorrow’s Stars Soccer Camp at Midwest Soccer Academy. Located in the heart of South St. Louis, the academy uses a back-to-basics approach to soccer instruction. In the weeklong camp, kids ages 6 to 13 will learn a range of technical skills including individual ball work, dribbling, receiving, passing and shooting. Campers will train on both outdoor grass fields and indoor turf fields. Camps runs daily from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. but can be supplemented with an additional all-day camp that includes arts, crafts and recreational activities.

Tennis Camps and Junior Golf Camps in Creve Coeur
11400 Olde Cabin Road, St Louis, MO 63141
314-432-3961
www.creve-coeur.org
For youngsters with a taste for the more refined end of the sports spectrum, the Parks and Recreation Department of Creve Coeur offers both golf and tennis camps. Golf camps are held throughout the summer in three-day increments for two hours each day at the Creve Coeur Golf Course. Campers ages 7-14 will learn the fundamentals of golf, etiquette and rules of the game. Participants should bring an iron, wedge and putter. Tennis camps are held from June to August at Preservation Park (just west of Christian Brothers College High School, 1850 De LaSalle Drive, Town and Country). These weeklong camps are open to kids ages 4 and up and are held in two-hour increments.

This article was originally published in June 2010 and was last updated on March 17, 2011.

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