We interrupt your regularly scheduled smorgasbord of previews and tales of recruiting triumphs for this small plug for Steve Spurrier's latest venture.
Tired of watching your kids waste time in front of inane television shows? Looking for something a bit more educational to give them to spend their time on? Do you want to begin indoctrinating them to love South Carolina athletics now, before the troglodytes from the Upstate get to them? Well, Steve Spurrier has devised a solution: Camp Spurrier for Kids (http://www.campspurrier.com). The Head Ball Coach won't let you or your child down.
In all seriousness, this site is both cool and fairly educational for youngsters. Here's a quick blurb from the folks that created the site:
Here's a fun new way to introduce your kids or grandkids to Gamecock Football. Coach Steve Spurrier has created an online world for kids. It's aimed at ages 5-12 but can be enjoyed by anyone. Kids can create their own "virtual player" and then they can actually walk around a football fantasy land created by Coach Spurrier. They can earn points playing games and watching videos from Coach Spurrier himself. All the videos teach kids about teamwork, leadership, sportsmanship and even basic football techniques. And kids who work their way up to the top of the "Leaderboard" will win a chance to meet Coach Spurrier in person! Just log onto www.CampSpurrier.com <http://www.campspurrier.com/> and click PLAY NOW.
Find out more after the jump.
The basic gist is that the player can travel around the garnet, black, and white Spurrier Stadium, complete with recognizable high-rise floodlights, and play a number of games. Here's a screen shot of the stadium:
The games are both fun and educational. For example, to practice visual memory skills, there is a memory game where players have to match cards that represent football equipment and parts of the football field. Others test semantic memory, such as a game where "Coach Shack" explains football rules and then tests the player's memory of those rules. These are just a small sample of what this site has to offer; the game also offers trivia, passing drills, and more. Parents of younger kids may find these games to be a worthwhile way for their children to spend their free time. As one can see, they educate both by teaching players the ins and outs of the game of football as well as by asking them to exercise more basic cognitive tasks that can be extended to all areas of thinking.
For older kids and for adults, of course, these games don't exercise the mind quite as much as a tough Sudoku or a crossword puzzle. However, I would have to admit that, even for me, the clips of Spurrier were pretty cool. They're a must see for Gamecocks fans. So, if you have kids in the games age range, let them give it a whirl. If not, go to the "Coach Shack" game, correctly answer some questions that were designed for seven-year olds, listen to Spurrier tell that you "made the Head Ball Coach proud," and commence chest thumping.