Since 1994, more than 4,800 youth have participated in Marquette's award-winning branch of the federally funded National Youth Sports Program.
The program, which targets students aged 10 to 16, is dedicated to helping disadvantaged youth gain athletic skills as well as skills for the real world, said Matt McKinnon, director of the NYSP.
The NYSP is a national program funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and Marquette, McKinnon said. Originally created in 1968 by the NCAA and the President's Council of Physical Fitness, the program has spread to more than 200 colleges and universities across the nation.
In January, the NYSP at Marquette was awarded the Silvio O. Conte Award for Excellence for having the best National Youth Sports Program, McKinnon said.
Marquette's NYSP was chosen out of more than 200 other college and university chapters of NYSP.
Every summer since 1994, around 600 students from the Milwaukee area come to Marquette for the five-day-a-week program that runs from June 21 to July 28, said Lori Suleski, NYSP program assistant. McKinnon said there are around 60 staff members that help out with the NYSP at Marquette, including teachers from the Milwaukee Public School system, Marquette students and students from area high schools. Other community members and parents assist with the program as well.
The goal of the program is to help youth from disadvantaged families learn about different sports, anything from swimming to golf or soccer, Suleski said. The aim is students will not only take their knowledge of sports away from the program but also self-confidence and teamwork skills.
Participation in the camp is free and includes athletic and academic training from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, transportation to and from Marquette and a morning snack and lunch, Suleski said.
Darlene Liston is a parent whose two sons, ages 12 and 16, are involved in the Marquette NYSP. She thinks NYSP is "the best program ever" because it gives youth something positive to do over the summer and keeps them off the streets.
"My kids really enjoy everything … the field trips and the sports," Liston said.
The NYSP uses Marquette's athletic resources, including the Helfaer Recreation Center and Valley Fields, to teach organized sports. The program also uses some classrooms to teach the participants about math, science and drug prevention, Suleski said.
"NYSP fits in well at Marquette because it addresses the idea of "'caring for the person.'" McKinnon said, referring to part of the university's motto. "There are so many youth in need, and this gives them an opportunity to grow and make them into productive citizens."
Out of the 600 youth involved in Marquette's NYSP, 90 percent of them come from one of 15 targeted zip codes. The other 10 percent are from outside of Milwaukee and the targeted zip codes, Suleski said.
This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on April 12 2005.