June 13, 2025 — The Clovis Police Department hosted its highly anticipated 9th Annual Cops and Kids Sports Camp this week, bringing together local officers and elementary-aged students for two full days of fun, fitness, and hands-on learning at the City of Clovis Recreation Section.
The camp welcomed more than a hundred students each day, all entering 1st through 6th grade. For just $10 per child, campers were given the opportunity to work alongside Clovis police officers in various activities, including physical challenges, defensive training, and demonstrations of real police equipment — not to mention lunch and a commemorative T-shirt.
For Corporal Dan Wilson, who has helped organize the camp year after year, the event is more than just summer fun.
“This has been great,” Wilson said. “Every year is an awesome turnout. We’re always maxed out in capacity and it’s just a great way for our officers to get together with the kids and just build a better relationship with the community.”
Held at the City of Clovis Recreation Section at 3495 Clovis Avenue, the event is one of the department’s biggest youth outreach efforts of the year. Although there are only two days scheduled for the summer, a great deal of effort goes into making the experience impactful and memorable.
“It’s kind of an all hands on deck within our department,” Wilson explained. “We don’t do it that often, but we try to do it our one time a year and try to make it as successful as possible, for sure.”
Organizers carefully plan for 120 kids per day and limit registration to avoid repeat campers so more children can take part. “We’re slated for about 120 kids a day,” Wilson said. “And between both days we try to have it to where it’s 120 new kids each day.”
The camp curriculum strikes a balance between fun and meaningful engagement. Children take part in various team games, designed to build communication and encourage working together — skills that are also vital in the day-to-day work of a police officer.
“They’ve been able to play some team games that we teach them to be good teammates and work as a team to accomplish,” Wilson said. He added that this type of instruction not only keeps kids active, but offers a chance to model positive behavior.
There’s also a unique opportunity to try out defensive tactics — the same kind that officers are taught during training. “They get to have a defensive tactics portion,” he said. “Which is awesome because they get to learn some defensive tactics that our instructors teach us.”
Campers also get to test their physical limits by running through an obstacle course similar to what law enforcement officers face in the police academy. It’s one of the more popular stations among the kids, and one that gives them a small taste of what officers go through in training.
Beyond the physical, campers are also introduced to modern policing technology. Officers conducted a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) demonstration — or drone for short — showing off one of the more high-tech tools used in public safety.
“They’ve got a UAV or a drone demonstration by some of our UAV pilots,” Wilson said. “So they’ve been kind of exposed to a lot of different things within the police department that’s allowed us to expose them to what we do.”
While the day is full of action, laughter, and movement, the deeper purpose of the camp is about changing perceptions and building trust between Clovis youth and the police.
“Ultimately it’s just a community engagement,” said Wilson. “Allowing these kids to see us as humans and to see that hey, we like to have fun as well and just kind of just build a better relationship with the community.”
The camp allows officers to remove their helmets and vests and just spend time with kids — laughing, joking, racing, and helping them conquer challenges — not as authority figures, but as mentors, role models, and neighbors.
And for Wilson personally, that’s the best part.
“Everybody is just having fun. They’re smiling,” he said. “We always want these kids to have fun and stay safe.”
Although the Cops and Kids Sports Camp happens just once a year, it leaves a lasting impression on both campers and officers. The limited schedule and hands-on format make it a unique experience that Clovis families look forward to each summer.
For those interested in registering next year, it’s advised to keep a close eye on the City of Clovis Recreation Section website. Registration for this year’s camp opened May 12, 2025 at 6:00 p.m., and filled quickly.
To learn more about the camp or other youth programs hosted by the Clovis Police Department, visit www.cityofclovisrecreation.com/current-programs