Camp Serves Early Father's Day Gift

June 10, 2008

NORMAN, Okla. - Fifty-four children treated their dads to an early Father's Day present this past weekend at Lloyd Noble Center. And if you ask each father to name a gift they'd rather receive, the answer you're sure to get is, "I can't think of one."

The gift was Jeff Capel's Father-Child Camp, held Friday evening, all day Saturday and Sunday morning in Lloyd Noble's main arena and the facility's two practice gyms. The dads and their 48 sons and six daughters practiced together, laughed together, ate together, slept in the OU dorms together and won awards together.

They participated in drills, engaged in competitions and battled it out in games of two-on-two with OU's players and coaches doing the instructing and officiating.

"Of all the camps we host, this is my favorite," said OU's Director of Basketball Operations Bryan Goodman, who serves as the camp's director. "It's a lot of fun for our staff to get to know the dads. Most of the dads played basketball at some point in their lives, so we share that common interest and love for the game. And a lot of them are OU fans, so I think they enjoy being a part of our program for a weekend."

Each day began with warm-up sessions under the direction of Darby Rich, OU's fifth-year strength and conditioning coach. While stretching is not usually regarded as laborious, the dads said Rich's exercises resulted in the most pain they endured all weekend.

"I stay fit, but I don't play basketball; I haven't for like eight years," said first-time camp participant Frank Barry, a Norman school teacher who was joined at the camp by his 10-year-old son, John. "It's the stretching that actually kills me. When they stretch us in the morning, my body's like, `What are you doing to me?'"

Darren Weaver, a fellow first-time camper from Davis who was joined by his 11-year-old son Dakota and considers himself relatively in shape, agreed.

"I was more sore from the stretching than I was from the basketball workouts. It was intense."

Rich explained why.

"The younger kids jump out of the car ready to go," he said. "We stretch them, mainly so they know how to stretch as they get a little bit older. But the dads, we get some of them saying that they haven't stretched since high school or college. So we spend quite a bit of extra time with them.

"The last thing we want is for someone to sustain a major injury, or even a minor injury. We take as much precaution as we can. They'll be sore when they leave, but hopefully not hurt."

Understanding that the fathers possess varying degrees of physical ability and limitations, the camp staff stresses taking things slowly.

"The main thing about this camp is we want everyone to have fun," explained Capel, who is starting his third year as the Sooners' head coach. "We don't want anyone to get hurt. One of the things we tell the fathers is, `Do as much as you want to do. If you need to pull out of a drill, go right ahead. Do what you feel you can do.'"

Michael Denton, an attorney from Mustang, has been attending OU's Father-Child Camp for approximately 10 years. This year he brought his two youngest sons, 9-year-old Andrew and 8-year-old Luke, after the boys vetoed a vacation to Laguna Beach, Calif., in favor of attending the camp. His other son, Trey, a camp veteran, just graduated from high school and is no longer eligible to participate.

Denton said he appreciates the consideration of the OU staff.

"The coaches are really good about not making us do anything that we don't feel like we should do. That's nice that they're not trying to push you into something. Instead it's go at your own speed and enjoy it as much as you can."

Denton and his fellow dads say the best part of the camp is the quality time spent with their children. The camp setting is what sets that time apart from their day-to-day experiences with their kids.

"We try to spend time together at home, of course," began Denton, "but you come to the camp and it's a different environment. It's you and the boys staying in the dorms, eating meals, pretty much doing everything together. It's always a safe environment and a healthy environment. It's an all-around good time with your children."

"It's amazing to watch the interaction," added Rich. "You see a lot of hugs, you see a lot of smiles."

Goodman agreed.

"That is what the camp is about," he said. "Hopefully they are all making memories that will last a lifetime. It is special for us to be a part of that."

Capel, who is the father of a 1-year-old daughter, probably summed up the weekend best when he said, "It's fathers spending time with their kids. It doesn't get much better than that."

Asked if he and Dakota will return next year, Darren Weaver replied without hesitation, "We liked it. We'll be back."

Frank Barry said with a laugh, "Sure will. I'm going to try to stay in shape for another year."

And Michael Denton confirmed he will return yet again by saying, "Absolutely. I figure I've got 10 more years. Luke's 8 and until he's out of high school I'll be here every year."

A young and smiling John Barry had a unique explanation for why he enjoyed the camp: "It was a lot of fun spending time with my dad. Now I don't have to spend much time with him on Father's Day."

John probably doesn't know it, but Frank Barry's Father's Day already happened. Actually, it lasted three days and it was perfect.

by Mike Houck, OU Athletics Media Relations

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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