There is no such thing as an ideal summer sports camp. The average one will have similar activities and rules familiar to most other camps. Youth athletes and parents should begin their search for the perfect camp by creating a list of preferences and goals. The selection of sports camps is vast, and eliminating camps from the long list will require predetermining desired outcomes and goals.
Sports camps are different from traditional ones in a few significant areas, but they are based on essentially the same idea: to create a fun and informative environment in which kids and teens can thrive. Specialty sports camps take this basic concept and focus the camp fun around a particular sport.
When choosing the perfect overnight summer camp or specifically a lacrosse camp, parents and students should start by choosing the best camp for their athletic needs. Also, there are a few qualities that set great programs apart in the field of sports camps.
Great Coaches and Instructors
Typically, summer sports camps are created by professional athletes and retired athletes. The foundational component of any sports camp is the coaching staff and the instructors. Coaches and staff are a large part of what makes a camp good or great. Players visit summer sports camp to find the best coach and counselors that will help elevate their skills and give them tips for improvement. Coaches, who are both professional and experienced, help athletes meet their goals.
A lacrosse camp instructor is a partner to parents and campers, and they help create a harmonious and fun summer. The important role of leading campers in events, games and the building of team spirit and camaraderie is the core of the summer. Reliable and dependable instructors help make the summer successful in this respect. A strong leadership and staff are also enthusiastic and talented in the sport. All these attributes help create a top-notch program and assist in cultivating an environment in which campers thrive.
Excellent Facility and Amenities
Summer camp regardless of specialty should first and foremost be a fun and rewarding experience. Not everything at a sports camp need be about sports.
Campers will care very much about meals, additional activities and sleeping arrangements if the camp is overnight. Campers want more than simply clean rooms. They want facilities that are comfortable with easily accessible bathrooms and showers. Summer sports camps should also have the space for multiple activities to happen concurrently. Camps that boast multiple large fields for games and instruction to happen without large periods of waiting are optimum. Also, facilities with access to additional activities and free time endeavors like swimming and alternative sports receive high marks from campers.
Campers rated meal variety and quantity in many forums as a big issue. Playing sports and burning energy for more than half the day will work up a hearty appetite. Youth athletes enjoy variety and quantity at mealtime. Many camps are beginning to offer buffets for athletes during most meals with healthy and appropriate snacks throughout the day. Camps with a great selection of meals and an interesting selection for picky eaters will score high marks. Meal selection is often an easily forgotten factor for many sports camps. Traditional day camps and overnight ones have started to accommodate this request from many students and parents.
Flexible Schedules and Thoughtful Programming
A typical day at any sports camp will involve game play and skill work; however, what about the remainder of the day? A schedule that mixes both sports and traditional camp elements will give campers a well-rounded summer experience. Overnight summer sports camp gives athletes unparalleled access to their coach and ability to improve their game. The individualized coaching and strategy that can be developed when athletes have more uninterrupted time to work with instructors is unmatched. Many summer sports camps have position specific programs that help athletes cultivate skills needed to excel in their team role. Great summer sports camps focus on skills and have a system in place rather than aimlessly teaching everything to everyone. In lacrosse camps, goalie camp is a popular offering that allows athletes to focus their summer camp experience on only the skills they need for that position.
In addition to great programming, an achievable schedule that is fun and rewarding also helps separate good camps from great camps. Great camps find ways to incorporate activities that students find fun and help promote team building and relaxation after a long day of practice. Some camps are offering movie nights or pizza nights to break up the constant working on skills. A few camps have even incorporated excursions to other venues to watch games or visit sporting facilities. These types of scheduling additions help to ensure that attending camp remains fun for kids and teens.
Safe and Respectful Instruction
One of the most important considerations for parents is that all the fun and learning of summer sports camp is happening in a safe environment. Additionally, the coaches practicing fairness and equitable treatment for all athletes will also factor into what makes a sports camp fun. Even the most elite summer sports camp wants to cultivate teamwork and sportsmanship while developing serious skills. Great sports camps take opportunities to fold lessons on leadership and integrity into the daily sports instruction. Great athletes aren’t just great at their sports, but they are also great people with great attitudes. Sports camps that overlap these ideas excel in athletic instruction.
The health and safety of campers and athletes are paramount to operating an exceptional summer camp. All the qualities of a great camp are stacked upon this important issue. A great staff promotes health and safety. A nutritional meal program also promotes the safety and health of athletes. The level of instruction and play at a camp also factors into safety, so facilities with medical staff on-site and sport medicine professionals stand apart in the sports camp arena.