Sports training comes home
“We have been super busy. Before, we only did our clinics at St. Pius, but since COVID began, we had to adjust. Now, we are going to kids’ homes for one- on- one or small groups of siblings or neighborhood friends.” Tom Keyes, founder, Triple Double
As summer camps and sports clinics have opened back up this summer, some athletes and their families are not yet comfortable with group activities.
Some local sports businesses have turned to one- on- one or small group training at the homes of athletes to accommodate kids not ready to fully jump back in.
Triple Double Basketball Training in Fairfield normally runs camps and clinics all summer, but because of concerns from the coronavirus, the company adjusted its plans for this year.
Triple Double is still running camps out of the gymnasium at St. Pius in Fairfield, but this summer founder Tom Keyes is also going to players’ homes to run private and small group clinics.
“Starting June 17 we began having the option of at- home training because we know some parents are not ready to send their kids to camps with too many kids,” said Keyes, the former Norwalk High varsity basketball coach. “We have been super busy. Before, we only did our clinics at St. Pius, but since COVID began, we had to adjust. Now, we are going to kids’ homes for one- on- one or small groups of siblings or neighborhood friends. People are finding it very convenient at home. All they need is a hoop in their driveway and we can give kids the same intense workout we offer at the camps.”
The camps that are being run at St. Pius are being done with social distancing in mind — masks, abundant hand sanitizer and each player bringing their own ball to minimize risk.
Keyes will continue the athome clinics through the fall. He has not made a decision about how Triple Double will operate next winter.
JA Elite Soccer Academy in Stamford is also offering individual training for athletes not comfortable in group training sessions and camps.
JA Elite always had private lesson options, but they are seeing more athletes interested in that approach this summer, according to founder Jhonny Arteaga
“We had to restructure our summer programs. Our at- home options have had a lot more interest this summer,” Arteaga said. “We still have people coming to train with us at our clinics at Trinity Catholic, but a lot of people are just more comfortable in a controlled environment at their homes.”
Along with the clinics outdoors at Trinity, JA Elite is still running clinics out of their home at Bobby Valentine’s Sports Academy in Stamford.
There, the training groups are limited to no more than six athletes and there is no contact between athletes.
JA Elite normally has teams playing in summer tournaments, but that has been put on hold this summer.
“This summer we are only focusing on training,” Arteaga said. “We are doing no out out- ofstate tournaments and we are not having any internal games or scrimmages. That may change and we may start to allow internal games but not right now.”
Arteaga is not sure when JA Elite will be able to restart games for their travel teams, saying he will follow state guidelines and continue doing what he feels is in the best interest of his players and their families.