Four years ago Urban Initiatives teamed up with the Chicago Cubs for the inaugural Cubs on the Move Fitness Trolley. Fast forward to 2016 and now Cubs on the Move Fitness Program is a home run with all of our summer campers throughout Chicago! Everyone involved, including campers, coaches, and volunteers had a wonderful time learning the basics of baseball. This years participating schools were Jahn, Nobel, NTA, and Gunsaulus. Each day, campers participated in three rotating stations: hitting and base running, a baseball skill activity, and a group discussion focused on physical activity, teamwork, or healthy eating.
At the base running station students were timed the first week and the last week to track their speed improvement. Believe it or not, our campers gained some serious speed! Baseball skill activities included bucket toss, ground ball derby, run-down, and jackpot. Through these fun mini-games students learned the basics of throwing, fielding, running, and hitting. At the discussion station, students learned that it is important to “Play Every Day!” They also learned which foods were “Fair or Foul” and that “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.”
Each day of camp ended with a healthy snack on the trolley. Students sang along to “Go Cubs Go” while chewing on delicious and healthy apples. Each week, one lucky camper was selected as the “Sportsman of the Week” based on their attendance, attitude, and sportsmanship. It was always a tough choice because so many campers were all-stars!
During the final week of camp NTA was the lucky school selected for a special visit from the Cubs on the Move Fitness Program Trolly and it couldn’t have gone better! A special visit from Cubs’ pitcher Carl Edwards made camper’s faces light up as they got the chance to meet and play with a real major leaguer. Carl showed off his throwing skills at the hitting and base running station. The kids were beyond pumped to get pitched to by a pro baseball player! He even stepped in the batters box for a few swings. Boy can he hit! Another star of this special day was Clark the Cub! He once again brought endless energy and high jinx to another season of Cubs on the Move camp.
We can’t wait for the next chapter of our ongoing partnership with the Chicago Cubs and Cubs Charities. We hope to see you next year!