TAMPA, Fla. — The Davis Island Youth Sailing Foundation offers a full-day, week-long sailing camp for kids as young as 5 years old. This program teaches everything from the parts of the boat to the basics of sailing.
Many participants grow up through the program. Luke Mullinax, 14, is one of those people.
“I started sailing at the Davis Island Youth Sailing Camp when I was about six years old,” he said. Now, he competes as part of the Davis Island Race Team.
"It's fun to be out on the water all day. It's kind of a solo sport, but at the same time, you have teammates all around you supporting you," Mullinax said.
Ryan Gray is the 420 Race Team coach who said they teach the kids that sailing is a lifelong sport.
“At any stage of your life, there's something you can find to do with the sport,” Gray said.
During the year, the foundation runs a race team known as DIRT (Davis Island Race Team), which offers ten weeks of summer camps. They also partner with local high schools.
“For many kids, this camp prepares them for a future in sailing,” Gray said. He also said one of their sailors received a scholarship to Brown University for the sport. Several upcoming seniors are also being scouted by college sailing teams.
While the camp is challenging and exciting, it teaches essential life lessons. Gray emphasized the importance of independence, leadership, confidence, problem-solving and teamwork.
“There’s the responsibility of taking care of their gear and maintaining their boat. We are a Corinthian sport, so we encourage sportsmanship, looking out for others in the community and relying on your team to look out for you as well,” Gray said.
Sailing isn’t just for kids, though. Gray says his mom started sailing after seeing him and his brother go through the program. However, starting young allows kids to develop skills that they can carry through all walks of life.
“I’ve seen plenty of adults learn to sail. For kids though, I think it's a cool thing to at least try. Even if it's just at a summer camp, it's a good opportunity for them to be put in that self-sufficient environment out on the water, doing their own thing,” Gray said.
Mullinax echoed these sentiments, noting how much his teammates have helped him in various aspects of his life and highlighting the importance of being part of a team.
“My teammates have helped me so much with many things in my life. I think it's very important to be a part of the team,” he said.