A little convincing from current and former teammates allowed Wabash sophomore DJ Singfield (left) to have a summer full of memories. Current senior Joshua Gangloff and 2008 graduate Gabe Guerrero talked to Singfield about the fun experience they had at the Kids’ Across America Camp in the 2007 summer.
Singfield and classmate Chris Beedie decided they wanted experience the camp themselves, and last summer went to the KAA camp in Golden, Mo. Singfield was a counselor at the camp for two months, while Beddie was there for one month. Kids Across America was founded in 1978 by White of Kanakuk Kamps, Inc.
It has since grown and now includes KAA 2 and KAA 3, which was opened in the summer of 2001.
The camp was for inner-city youth ages 10 to 18. The counselors looked over a variety of sports and worked on teaching Christian values through sports. Football was the main teaching focus for Singfield and Beddie.
"The camp centered around God and teaching about him through sports," said Singfield, who already had gone to another mission trip to Africa last year.
For the two months Singfield was there, he would teach a group of around eight kids. Each week, a different group of kids would come through the camp. Most the youth who came to the camp had a corporate sponsorship, so had to play a minimal fee.
"I have always liked working with kids, and Gangloff went over there last summer and he convinced me that I should go," Beedie (right) said. "I had never got that much into volunteering during high school, but I was glad I went and did it."
Both players learned plenty from there time in Missouri.
"I just learned how powerful Christ is," Singfield said. "He has had a big influence on me and we taught through sports what he can do for youth."
"Sports can be in influential way to teach about Christ," Beedie said. "All of our teaching centered around sports."
Both plan on returning to the camp next year.