ESTRELLA YOUTH SPORTS & THE GREAT ESTRELLA PLAY DAY
CELEBRATING WITH A PURPOSE
ORIGINALLY POSTED FALL 2016
|
Editor's Note: Childhood is the time to explore, discover, and play. on November 4th, Estrella will turn into one large playground for kids of all ages for a second year in a row, (even for the most "mature" of us), to kick back and just have fun all day long.
Why? The Great Estrella Play Day is a full day of fun and FREE TO THE PUBLIC. (Invite your friends!!) The event has a lot of FAMILY FUN built into the festivities and you don't want to miss out. Last fall, Kamarata didn't take a cent of the donations... All funds went toward an Estrella family in need. A family of five children raised by their grandparents were the first recipients of the Great Estrella Play Day. |
Estrella Youth Sports' Founder and Executive Director Dale Kamarata and daughter, Tessa
|
We take a look back at this feature from Fall 2016. Thank you, Dale, for taking the time to send us this Q&A! And congrats on your 10 Year Anniversary. It's an amazing milestone... and well-deserving of another "day of play" in your honor!
~Jen Barber & West Valley Families
Watch our Facebook page for more features all week long!
~Jen Barber & West Valley Families
Watch our Facebook page for more features all week long!
#becauseofeys
ATHLETE TESTIMONIALS
|
Q&A WITH DALE KAMARATA - ESTRELLA YOUTH SPORTS
Q. What was the date of your incorporation and/or first event?
A. Date of incorporation = 11/6/06
1st practice ever = 10/6/06
A. Date of incorporation = 11/6/06
1st practice ever = 10/6/06
Q. Dale, how did you decide to get this up and running?
A. I honestly had no intent to start up a youth sports organization nor did I realize that EMR would welcome a local youth sports organization. EYS was a vision that came to me in October of 2006. However, I never envisioned it would grow into what it has become.
A. I honestly had no intent to start up a youth sports organization nor did I realize that EMR would welcome a local youth sports organization. EYS was a vision that came to me in October of 2006. However, I never envisioned it would grow into what it has become.
|
Q. Were your children involved in sports at the time and are they still?
A. My children were 3 (Tessa), 5 (Travis) and 7 (Tyler) at the time EYS was started. All 3 of my children have played multiple sports in the EYS recreational leagues and have also played EYS club sports. NOTE: It was just 4 years ago when Dale Kamarata carried the Olympic Torch prior to the 2012 games. He was nominated by two co-workers at Coca-Cola for Estrella Youth Sports. At that time, more than 1,200 pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade children were participating... and the program continues to grow.
|
|
Q. I understand your father was into sports and supported your sports growing up. Can you tell me more about that?
A. My mother and father were huge sports fans and never missed a game or practice. My father coached me in baseball all the way through junior high, but didn’t coach me in high school and college. I didn’t even think about it until year 2 or 3 of EYS that my parents had actually started a baseball league in the Maryvale area of west Phoenix when I was a little boy. They started the Zito Elementary School Baseball League when I was about 7 years old. My father was the first president of the league and they actually raised the money to build the snack bar for the league. During baseball season we basically lived at the fields from Monday through Saturday. I grew up thinking that is what everyone did!!!!
A. My mother and father were huge sports fans and never missed a game or practice. My father coached me in baseball all the way through junior high, but didn’t coach me in high school and college. I didn’t even think about it until year 2 or 3 of EYS that my parents had actually started a baseball league in the Maryvale area of west Phoenix when I was a little boy. They started the Zito Elementary School Baseball League when I was about 7 years old. My father was the first president of the league and they actually raised the money to build the snack bar for the league. During baseball season we basically lived at the fields from Monday through Saturday. I grew up thinking that is what everyone did!!!!
2012 - Oxford, England
|
Q. Which sports did you first start with?
A. My oldest son, Tyler, and his best friend, Ricky Robinson, just loved basketball. So EYS started with basketball. We truly felt as though we would have 10 to 15 participants for our first season. We ended up with 159 participants right off the bat!!! Q. How many sports do you offer now?
A. We now offer Soccer, 3 v 3 Soccer, Flag Football, Tennis, Volleyball, Basketball and Tee-Ball / Baseball. Q. Which are your most popular sports?
A. All of the sports are very popular, but I think we could do soccer in the Fall, Winter and Spring. Our Arizona weather just lends itself well to being outdoors during the school year and soccer is the perfect and most popular sport. |
Q, Which age ranges can you accommodate?
A. EYS recreational leagues range from 2 ½ - 3-years-old up to the 8th grade. The EYS Club teams offer opportunites all the way to seniors in high school.
A. EYS recreational leagues range from 2 ½ - 3-years-old up to the 8th grade. The EYS Club teams offer opportunites all the way to seniors in high school.
As our children progress through the various divisions and leagues, they learn how to work within a team while developing their own personality and “space” on the team. They learn to win with grace and lose with dignity, they create memories they will have for their entire lives and they create forever friends. In youth sports as in life, one does not always win, but it is what one does with the setbacks that make the difference. Nothing is better than seeing a team get better loss after loss, week after week, game after game and all of a sudden it all comes together. To see the look on the faces of the children that have had to work hard for everything they get is simply priceless!!!! ~Dale Kamarata, Estrella Youth Sports
|
Q. Please tell me about the Father Daughter Dance. How did you come up with this idea?
A. So the Father Daughter Dance was born out of selfishness!!! From the day I found out we were going to have a baby girl, I dreamed of taking her to a Father Daughter Dance. By the time Tessa was 3-years-old, no one invited me to a Father Daughter Dance. One night, Minnie and I were sitting with the Bruyers just enjoying a weekend evening and I said, “You know what, if no one is going to invite me to a Father Daughter Dance, then I am going to throw my own Father Daughter Dance!!!!" The next thing you know we were planning and we just had our 8th Annual Father Daughter Dance on September 10th of this year. Q. Where are you originally from? How long have you been in Estrella?
A. I was born and raised in the Maryvale area of west Phoenix. We moved to EMR in 1997 and could not imagine living anywhere else. Q. What is your greatest accomplishment with EYS?
A. I honestly don’t think I have accomplished anything. We have been blessed to be a part of an incredible community that loves youth sports, loves coming together as a community and loves seeing our children enjoy a healthy, outdoor lifestyle. |
... effort is from the heart and can be brought to every game and every practice. So, is success being the leading scorer? Is success playing great defense? Is success getting a great rebound? Is success being a great teammate? When “success” is determined ahead of time, then players and parents alike can enjoy the sport together and celebrate as a family!!! ~Dale Kamarata
Q. What is your philosophy when it comes to children and sports?
A. I realize this is not original, but I truly believe youth sports is a vehicle to learn about life. As our children progress through the various divisions and leagues, they learn how to work within a team while developing their own personality and “space” on the team. They learn to win with grace and lose with dignity, they create memories they will have for their entire lives and they create forever friends. In youth sports as in life, one does not always win, but it is what one does with the setbacks that make the difference. Nothing is better than seeing a team get better loss after loss, week after week, game after game and all of a sudden it all comes together. To see the look on the faces of the children that have had to work hard for everything they get is simply priceless!!!!
A. I realize this is not original, but I truly believe youth sports is a vehicle to learn about life. As our children progress through the various divisions and leagues, they learn how to work within a team while developing their own personality and “space” on the team. They learn to win with grace and lose with dignity, they create memories they will have for their entire lives and they create forever friends. In youth sports as in life, one does not always win, but it is what one does with the setbacks that make the difference. Nothing is better than seeing a team get better loss after loss, week after week, game after game and all of a sudden it all comes together. To see the look on the faces of the children that have had to work hard for everything they get is simply priceless!!!!
|
Q. What is your advice to the parent who doesn't feel their child is athletically inclined... but on the fence about trying out a sport?
A. Encourage them to play and live a healthy lifestyle, but determine as a family what “success” means. For instance, every basketball player is not going to become a great scorer as some of that is practice and some of that is natural, blessed ability. However, effort is from the heart and can be brought to every game and every practice. So, is success being the leading scorer? Is success playing great defense? Is success getting a great rebound? Is success being a great teammate? When “success” is determined ahead of time, then players and parents alike can enjoy the sport together and celebrate as a family!!! |
|
Q. What is your advice to parents who push their children really hard in sports?
A. Well, this is a tough one for me. I was “that” dad. I pushed my children very hard to succeed in sports and wanted them to want “it” as bad as I wanted “it” for them. I have been overly competitive my entire life and wanted my kids to feel exactly as I did about winning. After years of coaching my children and pushing my children, sports started to be “work” instead of “fun” for them. Fortunately, I have children that are very open and honest with me and they told me they just wanted to have fun, play sports with their friends and figure out on their own how far they wanted to go. To be honest, that was not an easy message to hear, but it has turned out to be one of the best lessons I could have ever learned. I no longer coach my kids and I am “just their dad”. I get to cheer them on and watch them enjoy youth sports for exactly what it is, youth sports!!!! Each of them are figuring out what they want out of sports and to be honest, they are having more fun and determining on their own what “success” is for them.
A. Well, this is a tough one for me. I was “that” dad. I pushed my children very hard to succeed in sports and wanted them to want “it” as bad as I wanted “it” for them. I have been overly competitive my entire life and wanted my kids to feel exactly as I did about winning. After years of coaching my children and pushing my children, sports started to be “work” instead of “fun” for them. Fortunately, I have children that are very open and honest with me and they told me they just wanted to have fun, play sports with their friends and figure out on their own how far they wanted to go. To be honest, that was not an easy message to hear, but it has turned out to be one of the best lessons I could have ever learned. I no longer coach my kids and I am “just their dad”. I get to cheer them on and watch them enjoy youth sports for exactly what it is, youth sports!!!! Each of them are figuring out what they want out of sports and to be honest, they are having more fun and determining on their own what “success” is for them.
|
Q. Any other thoughts or advice?
A. Youth sports should be a part of life, not life itself. Our children should enjoy school, music, the arts, sports and their family. Self-worth should not be based on a win or a loss. Youth sports should be something that is fun for the player and the family while games and practices are anticipated with excitement!!!! |
THE GREAT ESTRELLA PLAY DAY
10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND COMMUNITY FESTIVAL
