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Foundation plans camp, contest to teach Hooverball to children
by Lisa McDonald · News · June 30, 2016
The Youth Hooverball program’s expanded second year will include a two-day camp for grades 4 through 8.
“Since they’re so young, we thought that it might be a good idea to offer the camp so that we could give instruction on how to really play the game properly,” Hoover Presidential Foundation Communications Manager Brad Reiners said. “As they grow into the game, they’ll have all the skills they need for when it’s time to jump into the big tournament.”
Reiners said when they held the competition last year, they picked children randomly from the crowd to participate. They were later approached by parents wondering where their children could sign up. The camp and competition registration are a response to those queries.
“Within 24 hours we had over 10 kids register, so it was a big hit on Facebook,” said Hoover Presidential Foundation Communications Intern Tessa Lamartine. Due to scheduling during Hoover’s Hometown Days, a maximum of 80 children, or eight teams for each division, can sign up for the competition. There is no limit on how many can sign up for the camp.
Lamartine said the camp will consist of the basics of Hooverball, history of the game and how the youth league’s rules differ slightly from the adult league. She said depending on the children’ response this year will determine how camp will be run next year.
“If most of [the children] kind of have the knowledge of Hooverball already then we might put more effort into the tournament,” Lamartine said. “But if it seems like we’re doing a lot of good with the camp ... I think having more structure and longer camp would be helpful.”
Children who participate in the Hoover’s Hometown Days competition will receive a free T-shirt, paid for by sponsors like Acciona Windpower and West Branch Lions Club. “We enjoy doing it,” West Branch Lions Club President Mike Quinlan said.
He said Lions Club gave $1,000 to the Hoover Presidential Foundation to help run the event.
Game balls for the youth weigh 2 pounds, while those for adults weigh 4 pounds
Lamartine said since the participants are still young, there is no division of boys and girls. The two divisions will be fourth- and fifth-graders, and sixth- through eighth-graders.
Each day of camp is for a different division. Grades 4 and 5 have camp July 26th. Grades 6 through 8 go July 27th. Registration for the camp and competition can both be found at Hooverball.org. The registration deadlines for the camp and competition are July 20th and July 29th, respectively.
Lamartine said she did not know what Hooverball was before she got the Hoover Foundation internship, but now she is leading the organization of the camp and competition.
“It’s been pretty fun,” she said.
Reiners said if a parent would like to volunteer, they have an assortment of jobs like handing out T-shirts and watching the nets.
To sign up for Youth Hooverball, visit hooverassociation9398.thankyou4caring.org/pages/event-registration-multiple-events
To volunteer for Youth Hooverball, contact prstaff@hooverpf.org and BReiners@hooverpf.org, or call 319-643-5327.
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