Sports aren’t all fun and games – at least not for those participating in the many sports camps at SIU this summer.

Just ask the campers.

“6:45 a.m. is a little too early for me,” said SIU swim camper Tyler Charplata, 14, from Franklin High School in Wisconsin.

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However, men’s swimming and diving head coach Rick Walker was quick to respond.

“Better get used to it – wait till you get to college,” he said jokingly during the Nike Swim/Dive camp at the Student Recreation Center.

Throughout the various athletic camps taking place on campus this summer, the coaches and instructors are not just focusing on the sport itself. They are also emphasizing life skills and discipline so campers may attain goals not only in their respective sport, but in life as well.

“We talk about doing things that will help them with their lives,” said assistant track coach Cameron Wright, who is hosting his jumps camp this week on the SIU campus. “Like getting prepared for college, college choices and what to look for in a college.”

While attending camp, the athletes get a great taste of college life by staying in the dorms.

“I like staying in the dorms,” said Lucas Nelson, 16, from Evansville, Ind. “It’s kinda different. I don’t know if I want to stay in them for a whole year though.”

Some of the instructions given take on a classroom-like format. Booklets are given to each camper in order to record their progress throughout the program.

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“We encourage them to write things down and remember everything that we talked about,’ Wright said. “We want them to receive knowledge about their event that they can take back to their school.”

Newly appointed women’s basketball head coach Dana Eikenberg took her campers to the bleachers at the SIU Arena to provide information in a classroom-like setting during the Girl’s Basketball Position Camp.

“We want to give the girls life skills and confidence and the mental side of being an athlete,” Eikenberg said.

But coaches also emphasized going back to the basics and working on fundamentals and certain skills.

“In the camp, we’re focusing on stroke, technique and just the how-to’s of swimming competitively,” Walker said.

In focusing on the basics and technique, the campers find themselves improving greatly, although the camp is only a few days.

“I have definitely seen improvement on all four strokes,” Nelson said. “More than in the last two or three years – and I’ve only been here for three days.”

And just because it is summer does not mean the coaches plan to go easy on them.

“It’s a lot of hard work,” said Amanda Backes, of Breese, in Carbondale for Wright’s jumps camp. “When you leave this camp you are sore.”

With coaches asking more out of them, campers feel the pressures of keeping up with the rigorous pace.

“Especially in the summer, I’m used to only 1,000 or 2,000 yards a day,” Nelson said. “We are already doing 3,000 and 4,000 yards at three separate times. So it’s way harder.”

The campers respect the coaches and understand that they know what it takes to be more competitive.

“They are college coaches, so they know exactly what they are talking about,” Nelson said. ‘They have a lot of great drills.”

And they have a lot of answers.

“Anything that you don’t know about what you’re doing, Cameron will have the answer to it,” said Eric Thompson of Herrin, a Cameron Wright jumps camper. “There are some not everyone knows about, and he straightens things out for you.”

The coaches find a benefit in teaching the young and aspiring athletes.

“It makes me a better coach,” Wagner said. “Everything starts with the basics and fundamentals.”

Eikenberg said there is a difference between teaching younger and collegiate athletes.

“The difference is in the skill level and attention spans,” Eikenberg said. “You have to speak quicker and define each skill.”

While much work is involved, the coaches do give the campers time off to have fun and build relationships with other campers.

“We also do miniature golf and horseback riding,” said Jeff Goelz, the SIU women’s swimming head coach who is assisting with the swim and dive camp. “We also go to the campus beach and do some paddle boating; it’s not just swimming – it’s a little bit of everything.”

At the end of the Cameron Wright jump camp, the campers get together and have an actual meet where campers show off what they have learned over the week.

“We start the bar at 4-foot-10 and work our way up,” SIU sophomore high jumper and camp coach Michael Langston said. “A lot of people break their personal records.”

Being together all day, the campers become good friends quickly. They learn to support each other and encourage them all to do their best.

“We clap, cheer, yell and encourage,” Wright said. “Everybody wants everybody to do well. Everyone is kind of pulling for everyone.”