Benfield Sportscenter Gives Kids A Safe Space To Thrive And Play

On any given day, guests at the Millersville-based Benfield Sportscenter will find children giggling while tagging one another or participating in friendly games.

The indoor sports facility serves as a community hub and a place that encourages kids to have fun while learning about teamwork, respect and sportsmanship.

Those values will be emphasized again from June 17 through August 23, when Benfield Sportscenter hosts single week, multiple week and full-summer camps for ages 5-13. On each of those days, from 8:30am-5:00pm, youth can enjoy dodgeball, basketball, soccer, parachute games, relay races, kickball, volleyball, floor hockey, wiffle ball, Capture the Flag, and other activities.

“I love giving kids an opportunity to be active because I feel like kids are not very active anymore,” said Ben Pardew, who partnered with his brother Lucas to convert the former Maryland SportsPlex to Benfield Sportscenter in 2013.

Prior to Maryland SportsPlex, the facility was home to the beloved Benfield Pines Ice Rink, where Anne Arundel County kids learned how to skate. Ben Pardew’s father, Rick, ran the ice rink from 1973 to 2005. After college, Ben Pardew was happy to become general manager of Benfield Sportscenter, a family-run operation.

He and Lucas quickly got to work, replacing the old turf field with a bigger and new Metaflex surface, adding more options for birthday and team parties, and adding new classes and sports leagues.

Over 10 years later, summer camp is still one of Pardew’s favorite offerings.

“I would call it extended gym class. Instead of drills and activities, they can be involved in all different sports and just have fun,” Pardew said. “They don’t have to be specialized in a single sport. This allows the younger kids to play with older kids.”

This summer, camp director Scott Gurien and assistant camp director Dani Victorio will lead a group of about 12 camp counselors, including a former Baltimore Kings professional soccer player, college graduates with backgrounds in education, and high school and college students. All counselors are CRP and first-aid certified.

Gurien is in his 19th year teaching elementary physical education. He has played, umpired or refereed, and coached roller hockey, soccer, baseball, kickball, broomball and volleyball.

“I was a camp counselor for four years before being promoted to recreation camp director at Hofstra University summer camps in New York,” he said. “I then moved to Maryland and worked for the Recreation and Parks department as a camp director for seven summers before arriving and building this amazing program at Benfield Sportscenter for the last 10 years. I strive for respect, sportsmanship and integrity.”

Like Gurien, Victorio is passionate about sports. She has spent 10 summers as a counselor at Benfield Sportscenter. Victorio also runs the center’s social media and keeps staff morale high with her chocolate chip banana bread.

They are excited to meet this year’s campers at the Benfield Boulevard facility, which is heated and air conditioned.

“You can’t beat the location,” Pardew said. “People can get right off the highway and the airport is right there.”

Benfield Sportscenter also hosts several events throughout the year, including jiu-jitsu and muay thai events, seasonal fairs and more. Wee-Sale Children's Consignment is inviting the community to its annual Anne Arundel County pop-up sale at Benfield Sportscenter from May 1-5. BrickUniverse Annapolis will hold a LEGO fan expo on September 7.

Pardew is excited to see the turnouts for those events and the upcoming summer camp, which will offer another way for kids to stay active while learning important skills.

“I played soccer my whole life,” Pardew said. “I think when you play sports, you learn to be on a team and you learn to work together. You start practicing on your own and not only improving yourself but helping the team. Success in life is about working hard and that is something kids can learn through sports.”

Benfield Sportscenter is located at 1031 Benfield Boulevard in Millersville. Families can sign up their kids for the full summer camp, a single week or multiple weeks. To learn more about camps and other activities offered throughout the year, call 410-987-5100 or visit www.benfieldsc.com.