Archive for March, 2009

As the economy continues to effect much of the nation, parents and kids are getting much more creative in their efforts to enjoy their summer experiences. According to an article by Debra Melani of the Rocky Mountain News.

Times are tough for everyone, so camp directors might jump at a chance to trade tuition for gear or help. Get creative, Solomon (Jeff Solomon, executive director of the National Camp Association.) said: Maybe you own a business with potential camp supplies such as food, linens or sporting goods. Donate a few basketballs or a canoe for tuition.

“Or maybe you have a background in PR,” Thamert said. “Offer to help with marketing.” Running successful programs takes lots of skills; doctors and nurses are always hot summer-camp commodities.

Not all camps are willing to barter or negotiate, and many camps are,

“Some camps are reporting that their registration is stronger than ever,” said Betsy Thamert, executive director of the Rocky Mountain chapter of the American Camp Association.

However, it never hurts to try and if you have a skill, service or merchandise that may benefit a given tennis camp, lacrosse camp or other type of camp, talk with the camp owner to see if there is any sort of opportunity in this regard.

The number of lacrosse camps in the United States has grown exponentially over the past decade. When once there were a couple or three in each state, now there are dozens. Many have “flashy” advertisements, tie-ins with top pro players, and catchy websites. How does one choose the right camp for each type of player. To start with, it it is important to realize there are three basic types of camps. The first one is the “team camp”. These camps feature very little instruction and skill development, rather focusing on game play for teams that travel to these camps together. These are designed to provide competition for existing teams. The second type of camp is the “Recruiting Camp”. Again these camps do not focus on player development and skill enhancement. These camps are a way for individual players to get in front of college coaches and display their existing skills for the basis of getting recruited to certain college.

The third type of camp is an “Instructional” camp. These camps are focused on developing young players skills, strategies, and mind set, as well as working towards building their love of the game. A good instructional camp will feature coaches that have passion for teaching young players individual skills, techniques and strategies, as well as exposing the finer points of team play. These camps will group kids based on their skill and experience level and tailor their programs appropriately.

Once you realize which type of camp to choose there are still an array of chooses. How does one cut through the clutter to find the right choice?

According to All-American lacrosse in Bloomfield, MI, there are a great deal of things that should be researched and taken into consideration.

“Whatever your objective, make sure that the camp takes the proper steps toensure safety (both on and off the field) and is well organized. Ask questionsabout instructor screening, and training. Talk to friends who have gone to thecamp in the past and keep in mind that often, everything goes well; it’s thehandling of the unlikely occasion when something goes wrong that you want to feel comfortable about.”

In addition, there are many things to be wary about. Common mistakes made by kids in the pursuit of a good lacrosse camp include (according to AAL):

“1. Big Name Coaches: Often these coaches are used as a draw to attract players.It is not unusual for the name coach to make a brief appearance, meet and greetthe students, and offer some pointers. If you think Mr. Big Coach is going towork with little Johnny personally each day, you are sadly mistaken.

2. Big Name Schools: Going to a camp at a big name school does not mean thatyou will be recruited by them. Usually the camp at the big name school is led bythe big name coach as described above.

3. Big Name Schools: Going to a camp at a big name school does not mean thatyou will be recruited by them. Usually the camp at the big name school is led bythe big name coach as described above.East Coast

4. Competition: Kids from the East Coast do not generally go to camps(except recruiting camps as discussed later). What do they do? They playlacrosse all summer, and go to tournaments. Most of the kids you’ll find at thehigh profile camps out East are kids from other parts of the country who aregoing there also in search of the “magic bullet”.The Schedule: You have 200 kids at an overnight camp for a week. What areyou going to do with them? There are film reviews, a scrimmage, breaks,swimming, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and usually a movie. If you are looking for aweek away from home and an opportunity to be with friends (and not parents)and see a new place, these camps provide a great opportunity for a vacation.You’ll probably get 3-4 hours of lacrosse instruction per day; the rest will be“filler” activity. Try to figure out how much you’re paying for entertainment andsupervision and how much you’re paying for lacrosse. If you go into the campwith the idea that it is as much about a vacation as it is lacrosse, you’ll be fine.”

With all of this in mind, the best thing to do is ask questions, ask for references and research each possible camp based on a set of critieria that you deem important.

In these tough economic times, the Charlottesville News posted an article, again, pointing out how parents are still sending their kids to camps, despite the economy.

” Organizers say the recession may actually be boosting interest. Parents are increasingly busy looking for work or doing extra jobs in the summer.”

Many camps nationwide are seeing steady traffic with regard to camp registrations, information requests and contacts with parents.  Read the full article at  http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/news/headlines/39294602.html

Akron Beacon Journal and Ohio.com posted a good article about how to choose the right summer camp. http://tinyurl.com/as47po