Sandlot Stars

Seven years ago, Mike held his first athletic performance camp with 18 campers at Saint Thomas Aquinas College. At the time, it was called "Mike Looney Sports Performance" and the camp consisted mostly of kids who had attended his training sessions during the year. He held two weeks of camp and everybody loved it! It was so successful that he added two more weeks the following summer. By the end of the second summer, more than 70 campers were participating each week.

During the first two years, Mike learned a great deal about what kids want to do during their summer break. He also learned alot about what they don't want to do! So, with the help of his friend Pat Buckley, he began to incorporate more unstructured athletic games and activities, which the campers really enjoyed. Renamed "Sandlot Stars" in 2008, the camp featured a great mix of physical education, sports and fun.

Last summer, Mike created a new program called BLAST and introduced it to the 10-13 year old age group. The kids loved it. They pushed sleds and used rubberbands to improve their running. They also participated in obstacle course training and performance circuits, which were also a huge hit. By adding music for motivation, BLAST became extremely popular with both the boys and the girls.This summer, all Sandlot campers will have the opportunity to participate in BLAST.

With the addition of BLAST, Sandlot now provides the missing "athletic development" component that every child needs and deserves. Yes, we help our kids get stronger, faster and better conditioned for sports, but we do it in a way that allows them to still be kids. Just like the old days, they'll participate in pick-up games where kids learn to think for themselves, be creative, and most of all, just PLAY!