Entertainment - Entertainment News

POSTED: Sunday, Jul. 05, 2009

Kids with capes: YMCA teaches 'Superhero Training'

There must have been something special in the water at the Whatcom Family YMCA.

The kids there could fly through the air and climb the highest heights, and they did it all as part of the YMCA's Superhero Training.

The training camp lasts about four weeks, and in it kids ages 3 through 6 can choose a superhero character for themselves and try classes in swimming, tumbling and climbing.

"I love it. It's such a good excuse to get out and active instead of sitting around," says Matthew Duett, whose son Stuart has become a big fan of the classes. "At dinner he talks about it, how he's so excited about it."

As his alter ego Spiderman would suggest, Stuart's favorite part of the classes was the session on the indoor climbing wall. The best part for him and many other kids was when the counselors would harness them in and pass the kids back and forth through the air on the Superhero Swing.

"I just like swinging on the ropes," Stuart says.

Kamden Ignac, whose superhero identity Mopsy the Supercat is inspired by her cat at home, agrees.

"It was like I was going through the air without anything holding me up," she says.

The camp volunteers can't help but be a little jealous of all the fun the kids have while they're in class.

"I'm just wishing that I was introduced to something like this when I was younger," says Jim Carlson, a rock wall volunteer and staff member. "Some of them can really catch on. You see their eyes when they walk down here and they see the wall, and they get so big."

For parents, the camp was a chance to see the different classes the YMCA offers and to see which activities light up the spark in their kids' eyes.

"They have had so much fun. It's all they talk about all week: 'When is class?'" says Tori Marshall, mom of girls Zoey and Logan, who shares a name with Wolverine in the X-Men comic series.

"It's so neat because they do so many different things," she added, "so you can figure out what they like to do."

She had no idea her daughters would take so well to the climbing wall. They were so fearless in their pursuit of new heights that she's thinking about signing them up for additional climbing classes.

"It's just so fun to watch," Marshall says. "That's the best part, getting to watch them have such a good time and try new things."

Many of the parents also like how the classes start. Before the kids can get to swimming or tumbling or climbing or jumping, they recite the YMCA superhero code with instructor Kendra Aldrich: caring, responsibility, respect and honesty. It's something the teachers try to instill while still joking, playing and having fun with the kids.

"The teachers have all been absolutely wonderful," says Kamden's mom, Kasey Ignac. "That makes things so great. That, and a cape."

MORE INFORMATION

The next Superhero Training sessions are still open for July 10-31 and Aug. 7-28. To sign up for that or other activities for all ages of kids over the summer, call the YMCA at 733-8630. You can also go online at whatcomymca.org to see class schedules.