Kids Play It Cool as Summertime Activities Heat Up

From sunbathing to shooting pool, boogie boarding to bicycling, mall-hopping to miniature golfing, Ventura County youths were out in force Tuesday, doing anything and everything to escape the lure of television and overcome boredom.

Joan Cannon and Kyle Hansen, both 16, spent the afternoon at Golf ‘n’ Stuff in Ventura.

Joan found the miniature golf course a minor challenge. After hitting the ball out of bounds, she was delighted that the players had decided to forgo keeping score--too much like school, they said.

It was the first time this summer the Camarillo High School students played miniature golf, but it was definitely not the last, Joan said.

“We’ll probably be back lots of times,” she said. “There’s not that much to do around here.”

Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Keith Parks said he hears that a lot.

“Having grown up in Ventura County, I can tell you myself, and kids will still say that, it’s boring here,” Parks said.

But the busier teens are, the better, he said. Although there isn’t a major problem with youths stirring up trouble in the summertime, organized activities can only help steer them away from crime, Parks said.

“Sporting leagues and Boys & Girls Clubs keep kids busy and give them something positive to do,” he said. “They can serve as good role models for kids. They’ll pick up kids who are on the border who could go either way and keep them so they are not a problem.”

At the Thousand Oaks Teen Center, 11-year-old Alexa Grady shoots hoops and plays pool, soccer and video games. The seventh-grader hangs out at the center about five hours a day and often attends its weekly barbecues on Friday afternoons. Alexa said she’d rather stay busy at the teen center than sit at home in front of the television.

“The mall stinks,” she said. “This takes you away.”

The teen center, run by the Conejo Recreation and Park District, offers a wide variety of arts and sports classes, including basketball, swing dance, ceramics and watercolors. Once a week, youngsters also have a chance to take a trip to a local amusement park or go horseback riding. Although the center is only a week into the two months of summer classes, it is already at 95% capacity, said Director Brenda Coleman.

The Boys & Girls Club on Olive Street in Ventura entertains about 200 kids a day, said Patti Birmingham, director of operations.

“We had 50 kids by 10 a.m. today--we have wall-to-wall kids, and the carpeting is taking a beating,” she said. “They get opportunities they wouldn’t get otherwise. The staff becomes some kids’ families.”

Jeremy Stevenson, 7, who lives with his brother and mother in Ventura, said he and his brother come to the club while their mom works in Thousand Oaks.

“If I didn’t come here, I would stay at home and be bored,” he said. “I get to play with my friends and have a really good time. It’s much, much better than school and housework, which is really boring.”

Terra Ruiz de la Pena, 8, got a pleasant surprise when her mom dropped in.

“Today I finished early, so I came to see how she was doing and bring her some lunch,” said Maria Ruiz de la Pena. “It’s good that they are here, because it’s clean and safe.”

The club has changed Terra’s life, her mother said. “She comes here during school to get help with her homework.”

Melissa Gadbury, who will be a freshman at Thousand Oaks High School, said she planned to spend as much time as possible at The Oaks mall this summer. On Tuesday afternoon, she and her best friend bought T-shirts for the hot weather.

The mall is also one of 11-year-old Mariano Diaz’s favorite places to hang out during the summer. After he finishes his junior lifeguard duties in the morning, he jumps on his bike and pedals to The Oaks with his friend, Brandon Coch, 12.

“It’s more of a social place,” Mariano said. “It has a lot of fun things to do.”

Like eat candy. Ride the escalator. Watch people. And watch the new Austin Powers movie.

Matt Crasner, 8, his brother, 5, and their grandparents kept cool at the recently opened Oxnard Ice Skating Center. Although it was his first time on the ice, he was confident.

“I haven’t fallen yet,” Matt said. “I Rollerblade a lot, though, which helps.”

About 400 people are enrolled in skating school this summer, said skating instructor Jennifer Hall, 21. And she expects that the heat will draw even more students to the new rink.

“It’s going great with a lot of public really interested,” Hall said. “They learn to do something constructive, and it’s exercise.”

At Arroyo Verde Park in Ventura, about two dozen youngsters huddled in circles and pushed sand into several small “volcanoes.” And as their counselors poured vinegar and baking soda into the mouths of the mounds, “lava” bubbled over the top.

They are campers in a summer program put on by the city of Ventura Parks and Recreation Department. Roxy Ryan, 11, said she likes summer camp because she learns a lot--”like about sugar crystals and H2O.”

Amrit China, a recent Buena High School graduate and counselor, said the program stimulates kids’ minds while still allowing them to run around and play games outside.

“After a year of school, this is a fun place for them to be,” China said. “They’re getting just enough to keep their brains going, but not too much to get them burned out.”

Gorman and Enders are Times staff writers. Hamm is a Times Community News reporter.