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Sean Ireland takes on a different personality depending on the age of the kids he's working with. No, the Norwalk resident and director of Peak Performance Sports Camps in Stamford isn't a Jekyll-Hyde of the camp world. It's just that he takes a different approach with young children than with the high school students he teaches in physical education.
"There's a big change in everything,'' Sean says. "It's all how you talk to the kids. You have to be goofy around the kids at camp. Anything to make them happy. With older kids, you do anything to make them miserable."
Ireland taught physical education at Brien McMahon High and Briggs last school year. He moves to Norwalk High, from which he graduated in 1996, in September. He also is an assistant coach on Pete Tucci's football staff and played football and baseball at NHS under Tucci. He has worked for Mark Carmody as camp director for Peak Performance's All Sports Camp for six years. The camp is for children ages 4-12.
"At the end of the school year, I can't wait to be with the younger kids,'' Sean says. "At the end of five or six weeks, I can't wait to get back to the older kids. It's a revolving door."
When he's not teaching or working at camp, Sean plays softball for O'Neill's Pub/Booth Financial in the Tuesday Night League in Norwalk. "It's still competition, and we still want to win,'' says Sean, whose team includes several teammates from his Norwalk High team. "After the game, it's a lot different."
Ireland won't get much of a break between camp and the start of football practices. "You have new expectations every year,'' he says. "The anticipation is fun. The kids are working hard over the summer."
