fitzonesummercamp

Mark Laurenzano is running a summer camp in Springfield. A closer look reveals Laurenzano, using his roots, is running a life-lessons camp.

The Fitzone Athletic Performance camp is headed into its final week, with the city-run six-week camp for youngsters ages 7-15 being held at Kiley Middle School.

While the title implies physical fitness, which is certainly heavily included, Laurenzano's self-designed six-hour camp offers "a social and emotional piece, character building, self-esteem, nutrition, and the fitness piece."

Laurenzano, who grew up in Florida and now lives in Westfield, graduated from Springfield College in 1988 before taking a job at the YMCA of Greater Springfield.

"Going to Springfield College - the balance between mind, spirit, body - working at the YMCA, and trying to make a difference ... for me, working with an 8, 9 or 10 year old, those are the ages when they're starting to make decisions on what way they're going to follow," he said.

And Laurenzano is trying to get the 76 registered campers to follow an all-around healthy lifestyle. The campers start every day with a morning lesson, which focuses on nutrition, fitness or character development.

"They document what they ate last night, and they write how many hours of sleep they had the night before," he said. "The benefits of exercise and the three components of fitness .. . everything is documented. And we track everything we're teaching the kids."

Laurenzano said one of his greatest satisfactions is when a parent tells him that a camper is applying at home what was taught at the program.

"I deal with the parents directly, and within two or three days they're telling me, 'My son is coming home and forcing me to go out and buy snacks without as much fat in it'," Laurenzano said. "The parents are excited because I think some parents try to steer their kids the right way and have a healthy lifestyle, and for me to reinforce it for that six-hour shift ... I practice what I preach.

"The kids know what a serving size is. They know how to read a food label and understand the benefits. It's pretty cool."

The campers also read for 30 minutes every day, and then they write a brief composition.

The personal training includes stretching, abdominal work, jumping, lunges, jump rope, sliders, rebounders and resistance bands, among other things. The campers also go through a Fitzone workout, which includes 15 different exercises. Afterward, the children measure their pulse rate.

"I'm a personal trainer," said Laurenzano, who has taught physical education at Kiley for the last 12 years. "If I can help a kid make a lifestyle adjustment at age 7, 8 or 9 ... I never got that service when I was their age.

"I'm hoping when they have kids and when they're at the gym, they introduce what I introduced to them when they were younger so it can be passed on from generation to generation about having a healthy lifestyle, how it's going to benefit their self-esteem, how it's going to benefit them to be more confident, and to understand the benefits of exercise and nutrition."

The camp includes students from 14 schools in Springfield, and is funded by the 21st Century Grant.