By Kelly Ingram (Nishimoto)
Signal Staff Writer
This summer, young athletes from across the Santa Clarita Valley are running bases, shooting hoops, and jumping hurdles at The Master’s University during its annual multi-sport summer camp.
TMU is a private Christian college in Placerita Canyon that has made youth athletics a central part of its community outreach. But, according to longtime baseball coach Monte Brooks, there’s more than just athletic training happening on campus.
“In a nutshell,” said Brooks, who’s coached at TMU for 31 years, “our mission is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength — and to love our neighbor more than ourselves. Sports gives us a place to live that out.”
The camp, designed for kids ages 6 to 14, offers a wide range of sports including baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, and track and field. Campers are grouped by age and sometimes skill level, with a roughly 10-1 camper-to-coach ratio. Coaches include college athletes, local high school players, and longtime community mentors.
Each sport operates its own weekly camp, with participation ranging from 80 to 130 campers per sport per week. Basketball and baseball are among the most popular, often filling to capacity and requiring additional outdoor space to accommodate everyone.
“We want kids to have fun, build friendships, and develop character,” said Brooks. “Our counselors do more than teach — they invest.”
Each day at the camp includes skill-building drills, competitions and scrimmages. In baseball, for example, kids rotate through stations focused on hitting, throwing, fielding, and base running, allowing each child to find their own strength regardless of size or skill.
“That’s the thing about baseball,” Brooks added. “You could be any shape or size and still find a position that fits.”
The most rewarding part of the camp, according to Brooks, is the energy and joy it brings to the kids and their families.
“You’ll see their confidence build right in front of you,” he said. “Whether it’s a great hit, a solid throw, or simply seeing a camper try something new — they walk away proud. And when parents tell us their kids are counting down the days to come back, that’s when we know we’ve done something right.”
Each afternoon wraps up with friendly scrimmages or skill-based competitions. In baseball and soccer, standout campers are recognized not only for performance but also for character — rewarding qualities like leadership, encouragement and sportsmanship.
The summer camp is one of several youth outreach programs offered by The Master’s University. The school also runs a winter baseball camp — which was paused this year due to new turf installations — and continues to expand, with a new beach volleyball complex recently added to campus.
“This community has been such a blessing to our school,” said Brooks. “We’re thankful for every family that chooses to spend their summer with us.”
For more information about the camp or upcoming programs, visit masters.edu.
