The Clayton gymnasium will not go dark this summer after all. All Out Sports League (AOSL), a private, non-profit sports organization based in Brentwood, has signed an agreement with the city of Clayton to provide the summer camps and enrichment programs left in the lurch by the abrupt withdrawal and bankruptcy of the Mt. Diablo Region YMCA in March. AOSL, under the direction of Casey Copeland, has been running similar programs for Brentwood and Antioch for two years.

Clayton does not have a recreation department and relies on outside contractors to provide recreation programs. Copeland is “a highly motivated, experienced and enthusiastic operator suitable to fill the regrettable void (left by the YMCA),” says city manager Gary Napper.

Summer programs, scheduled to begin June 21, will include sports camps in basketball, soccer, flag football and volleyball, and leagues for youth and adult basketball and volleyball. Enrichment camps will start the week of July 5 with kitchen science and will include classes in science and business.

The Clayton Community Gym, built in 2003, is owned by the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, but the city of Clayton and residents contributed substantially to the construction. An agreement with the school district gives Clayton first priority on use during non-school hours. In exchange, the city picks up the operating costs of about $5,000 a month. The city is negotiating with the district to lower these costs, which will be billed to AOSL monthly.

For a schedule of summer camps, see page 7. Register online at alloutsportsleague.com.