Gulfport PAL serves over 1000 Gulfport City boys and girls annually with recreational, educational, cultural and social programs. Young people, ages 5 to 19, build for the future with a place to learn, grow and dream.
After school
Programs
Summer Camps for Elementary/Middle School
Children
Athletic/ Activities Camps
Mobile Education Center
Hook a Kid on Golf
Badges for Baseball
After School and Summer Camp Program
Components
The
After school program and summer camps are
comprised of three vital components that
help a child's physical, emotional and
academic development. These components
are presented on a daily basis and in a
variety of ways to reinforce the child's
development of positive life skills.
Education:
Each site is staffed with at least one
certified teacher who assists the children
with homework enhancing state testing skills
and mastering fundamental grade specific
benchmarks. The educational component
is broken into two sections academic and
skills enhancement. All educational
segments are presented in a fun and easy to
learn fashion that allows the participant to
learn without realizing they're learning.
After school tutoring is funded in part by PALYEP who provides funding to local PAL
chapters provided by the Office of Juvenile
Justice Programs. Tutoring for summer
camps is funded in part by the Gulfport
School District.
Athletics and
Fitness:
Physical fitness is an important aspect of
any child's development. PAL
recognizes this fact and incorporates
athletics and fitness as a daily component.
By fostering the belief that a healthy body
equals a healthy mind, PAL gets children
actively involved in a wide variety of
sports and fitness programs. By
introducing children to the fun and
satisfaction of athletics, we hope to make
health and fitness become a part of their
daily lifestyle. Over the last several
years PAL has introduced a program known as
"Sports for Life" in the after school
programs and summer camps. Sports for
Life gives children the opportunity to
experience sports that are different from
the ones they normally participate in at
school or in the neighborhood and include
golf, tennis, archery, and fishing.
Recreation:
The ability to socially interact with others
is an important life skill. PAL
provides opportunities for youth to socially
interact and learn how to relate to their
peers in safe and structured environments.
Besides every child needs to have the chance
to be a kid and have some fun. Playing
provides children a learning opportunity on
how to get along with others.
Mobile Education Center
The
mobile education center is a state of the
art bus that has been outfitted with
wireless internet accessible laptop
computers and education material including
textbooks from the Gulfport and Harrison
County School Districts. The mobile
education center travels to different
neighborhoods throughout the school year in
an effort to provide tutorial services
directly to the children that need it.
In addition to the educational material on
the bus, two certified teachers travel with
it to assist children with their homework,
projects and enhance their skills in problem
areas. The mobile education center is
in a neighborhood near you Monday through
Thursday during the school year from 3:30pm
to 5:30pm. Call (228) 868-5703 for
more information. The 2008-2009 school
year locations are Mondays-Bayou View
Elementary, Tuesdays-Gaston Point at Stewart
Ave. and Old Pass Rd., Wednesdays-Soria City
at Morning Star Baptist Church parking lot,
Thursdays-Olivet subdivision at Olivet Park.
"Hook a Kid on Golf"
Pal
sponsors several Hook a Kid on Golf Clinics
each summer to encourage youngsters to learn
the game and continue to play golf, while
instilling in them an understanding of
golf's rules, etiquette and history.
The game of golf is included in our lists of
"Sports for Life"; unlike other sporting
activities a single person can play golf.
Therefore a child does not have to depend on
others to enjoy this activity. The
clinics are one week in length and are
hosted at several golf courses within the
City of Gulfport. Instructors include
a golf pro and Gulfport Police officers that
are regular players and are knowledgeable
about the game and its rules. Every
participant who successfully completes the
course of instruction receives a basic set
of golf clubs.
Badges for Baseball
Starting in the summer of 2008, Gulfport PAL
introduced Badges for Baseball into its
summer camps. Badges for Baseball is a
cooperative effort between the Cal Ripken
Sr. Foundation, the Mississippi Attorney
General's Office and Gulfport PAL.
Participants are exposed to the coaching
style known as "The Ripken Way".
Keep it Simple- The Ripkens believe that the only way to reach young players is to meet them at their own level. Simple basic lessons are crucial in building a foundation that will last. When teaching get too complicated, it is difficult to remember and becomes frustrating.
Explain the Why- It isn't enough to instruct; you have to explain. Young Players have an innate need to understand the reason behind the teaching. When lessons make sense to them, they will build confidence and stick to them.
Make it Fun-In order to succeed in baseball or softball; you have to learn the fundamentals. In order to learn the fundamentals, young players need to have fun when they are starting out. Lessons and skills that must be practiced over and over will grow boring unless they are made entertaining, both in baseball and life.
Celebrate the Individual- No two players are alike, so why should they be treated as if they are? Cal Ripken Jr.'s career was a testament to the fact that each player has his or her own comfort zones, strengths and style, and they may change over time. There is no one right way. This is true beyond baseball too. When kids feel comfortable with their own unique style, they build confidence, and are more likely to succeed.
GOAL: To develop a community crime prevention initiative, using baseball and softball, to prevent and resolve problems of crime and disorder by encouraging healthy out of school activities that improve relationships between police and urban youth through cooperation, collaboration, and mutual respect.
The Need: The current relationship between urban youth and police has been described as negative by community and police leaders. Common problems in the relationship have included a lack of trust, racial and cultural differences, little or no contact except through police responding to crime related incidents, and high levels of anger, fear, and hostility between the two groups. This hostile relationship discourages open communication between police and youth, which in turn further exacerbates the levels of distrust and fears felt by both youth and police officers. This lack of trust between police and urban youth is dysfunctional and is often directly related to increased levels of violence, physical injury to police officers, youth, and others and contributes to disrupting public order.
Badges for
Baseball Primary Components:
Quickball- A new revolutionary, fast
paced game designed to get kids up and
moving, having fun and getting
exercise as a part of their daily lives.
Quickball can be played indoors during cold
or inclement weather.
Healthy Choices- Healthy Children is
a character development program that aims to
provide youth with tools to help them make
positive, healthy choices leading them
towards a successful and fulfilling life.
The Twelve lessons focusing on life skills are:
1.
Sportsmanship
2. Teamwork
3. Leadership
4. Communication
5. Respect
6. Stinkin' Thinkin'
7. Personal Responsibility
8. Work Ethic
9. Developing Good Life Habits
10. Choosing to be Healthy
11. Choosing Your Teammates
12. Choosing Your Future
WE ARE EAGER TO CONTINUE OUR WORK HELPING YOUTH NOT ONLY ON THE FIELD PLAYING THE GAMES OF BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL BUT HELPING THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE GAME OF LIFE AND REALIZE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
Education is the foundation of all Gulfport PAL programs, and young people benefit from guidance, nurturing and counseling.
After-school tutoring is provided to middle school students in the City of Gulfport. This program is funded in part by PALYEP who provides funding to local PAL Chapters provided by Office of Juvenile Justice Programs.
This after-school program also includes sporting education, career development and community service.
Sports
Gulfport PAL’s recreation and athletic program offers children opportunities to learn discipline, leadership, teamwork, the importance of learning the rules, as well as sportsmanship and patience.
The Gulfport PAL Sports Department organizes assistance from police officers and community volunteers to provide support to baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, track and field and flag football programs.
• Sponsors Baseball Team and provides support with the Orange Grove Youth Association
• Provides support to Gulfport Department Leisure Services with NFL Flag Football Program
• Archery Class During Summer Program and After-School Programs
• Basic Fishing Training during Summer and After- School Programs
• Golf Program during Summer Program
Participate in national events
National PAL Baseball Tournament – Orlando, FL
National Hook-A-Kid On Golf Program
National Football League Flag Football Program
Summer Programs
Hook a Kid on Golf Clinic-
Participants are taught swing fundamentals,
rules and etiquette and golf course
maintenance. Each clinic is held at a
local sponsoring golf course and features
instruction from the course pro. The
clinic is for youth between the ages of 8
and 13.
G.R.E.A.T. Summer Program- an interactive program for youth between the ages of 12 and 14 that provides its participants with educational assistance, fitness, discipline and recreation in a fast paced daily agenda. The G.R.E.A.T. Summer Program begins at the end of each school year and runs the length of summer break. Operational Hours are 7:30am to 3:00pm each day.
P.A.L. Summer Learning Program- The program has a three point purpose: academic tutoring, sports and life skills. Children are tutored by licensed teachers and taught life skills by Gulfport Police Officers such as conflict resolution and substance abuse. The City of Gulfport Leisure Services Department is a co-sponsor of each site by providing athletic coordinators and art & crafts coordinators. The Summer Learning Programs are for youth between the ages of 6 and 12. Hours of Operation are 8:00am to 4:00pm each day.