Concerned about her “tween’s” future, one local mother e-mailed La Jolla Village News regarding La Jolla’s apparent drop-off in athletic programs for kids reaching life’s “in-between stage.” With summertime around the corner, parents want to plan safe activities for their children. While La Jolla Recreation Center previously provided summer camps for older kids, most programs focus on children ages 2 to 9, said Diane Brittingham, La Jolla Recreation Center director. Brittingham said the center offers a few summer camps for older “tweens” – a term coined in the 1950s targeting clothing for girls ages 11 to 14; popular culture recently adopted the term, mostly for the age group 9 to 13, blending the meanings of “between” and “teen.” According to various Internet dictionaries, the awkward in-between time refers to “tween” girls that are “too old for toys but too young for boys.” “The 9- to 16-year-olds need places to ‘be’ down here in Bird Rock and La Jolla, other than the malls,” said the mother, who asked not to be identified. She said she raised three children in the area, but was forced to drive through La Jolla’s busy “Throat” intersection to the YMCA, one of the few centers providing sports recreation for middle-schoolers, she said. “This is the first year I’ve seen parents ask in early March, ‘Where’s your summer brochure?’” Brittingham said, adding that she quickly completed the summer 2009 list of summer camps much earlier than usual. Depending on the child’s age and flexibility of dates, parents sending their child to summer programs can pay anywhere from about $100 to more than $500 weekly. La Jolla Sports Club’s Maggie Connor said she’s offering a summer jazz dance and boot camp for tweens ages 10 to 17 for three weeks, Tuesday through Thursday, July 7 to 23. “From noon to 1 [p.m.] we have jazz class and then a boot camp… and then we have a run at La Jolla Cove and then we swim the Cove, and then finish with lunch,” Connor said, adding that parents can drop their kids off at 11:45 a.m. at La Jolla Sports Club and pick them up by 4 p.m. “Thursdays are different — they will start with extreme legs, a full body workout, and then a jazz class and then activities outdoors.” Connor’s program costs $100 daily, $300 weekly, or $285 for early registration before July 7. For more information or to register, call (858) 220-6463 or e-mail [email protected]. Beginning this July, La Jolla Tennis Club will offer an all-day tennis camp for ages 6 through 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for about $275 each week, said La Jolla Tennis Club head pro Brent Davis. According to Davis, tennis tweens will perform drills during the morning, eat lunch, play games during the afternoon and then practice their tennis skills against each other. For complete details, call (858) 454-4434 or visit www.ljtc.org. The Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center (JCC) is offering Camp Jaycee June 22 through Aug. 14 for kids 9 months through grade 12, including sports camps and their J Company performing arts camps. For information, prices and enrollment dates, visit www.lfjcc.org. According to San Diego lifeguards, 9- to 17-year-old boys and girls interested in becoming Junior Lifeguards can register for a three-week course. Each age group must meet a swim qualification. Registration starts April 20 at 8 a.m. Tuition is $500. For more information, visit www.sandiego.gov/lifeguard, call (858) 581-7861 or e-mail [email protected]. Brittingham said La Jolla rec center offers a few camps targeting older kids, including cheer and Spanish camps for children ages 6 to 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aftercare is provided for an additional $25. The rec center offers camps in June, July and August. “And for another fee, cheer camp offers early and after-care,” Brittingham said. “Now we refer people to La Jolla High School’s summer day camp.” La Jolla Recreation Center also offers myriad summer camps for younger children starting at age 2 such as art, peewee sports and gymnastics, Brittingham said. Each five-day week costs from $100 to $150. Registration pamphlets for all camps will be available at the rec center office starting April 1, Brittingham said. For more information or to register, call (858) 552-1658.