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By Jon Buzby
When I was a kid there were
very few youth sports camps.
They were usually local,
held at the high school or
recreation department
complex and coached by their
staffs. It was more or less
just a good excuse for mom
to get us out of the house.
Very rarely did anyone leave
town to go to a sports camp.
Today, you can drive for
hours or even fly to youth
sports camps and be coached
by the most qualified
coaches in the country (at
least you tell yourself that
when you write the check).
Entire teams can go
together. They are often
held on college campuses or
other attractive sports
venues. These camps give you
uniforms, equipment and
other amenities more
suitable to a professional
team. You are at camp 24
hours a day and get three
complete meals, snacks, pool
time, video analysis of your
games and a true dormitory
experience (no air
conditioning, plastic
covered mattresses and cold
showers). Oh, and don’t
forget, a price tag that
will make you think your
child is really going to
college, not just going to
camp on a college campus.
Does your child really need
to attend a youth sports
camp at a price equal to
your monthly car payment (if
you drive a really nice car
that is)?
I think kids should get
three things out of a summer
sports camp. They should
learn something, be active
and most importantly, have
fun. For the majority of
young children (elementary
and middle school-aged) the
local camps directed by the
high school coaching staff
or recreation department
fulfill all three
requirements. The kids will
be well coached, play
against good competition and
most importantly, be active
and have fun.
They won’t come home with a
fancy uniform (but you’ll be
able to use the tee shirt to
wash the car long after they
outgrow it), a new ball (to
add to the pile already in
your garage) or overnight
stay (they’ll sleep much
better in their own beds),
but at the end of the week
they’ll have priceless
memories with their friends,
a little more knowledge
about the game and be tired
from a weeklong workout ~
all without the hefty price
tag.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not
against the more expensive
camps. I attended one as a
kid and have sent my son to
one as well. But I’m all for
the local ones too. In fact,
of all the sports camps I
went to as a kid, the one
with the best memories for
me was the one at the local
high school. All my friends
were there, it was small
enough so we all got a lot
of game time, and I learned
a lot. Plus I thought it was
really neat to meet the high
school players I had seen
play the season before.
There could be an argument
made that a player is better
off going away to be coached
by college coaches and
players ~ the same ones he
most likely will never see
again. I make the argument
that it can be just as
important to be coached by
the local high school coach
~ the same one your son or
daughter might be trying out
for in the future.
Choosing the right camp
involves weighing a lot of
issues to ensure the perfect
fit for your child. Just
don’t assume because the
price is higher, the quality
will be. And remember the
most important part of camp
~ having FUN!
Fun is priceless at any age.
Jon Buzby’s columns have
appeared in over thirty
newspapers and magazines
around the country as well
as numerous websites. He is
also a frequent public
speaker and has written two
books. He can be contacted
at
JonBuzby@hotmail.com or
302-562-8773. |
