Getting an early start to summer planning? Trying to choose a summer sports camp for your child? Whether you have a child involved in club ball, high school teams, or just getting started in recreational programming, you know that picking the right clinic or camp for his or her level and goals is one of the most important details. As you explore Signature Sports Camps, and aim to understand if this sports camp is the right fit for your family, we put together a few FAQ’s that we get asked the most while families are in the planning stage. We separated these questions into a few categories: safety and camper wellbeing, on-field coaching, and logistics. Let’s dive in:
Camper Safety & Supervision: What Parents Should Know
How are campers supervised?
We separate campers into small groups, or the “teams” they will be organized in throughout their week at camp. These groups are typically from 8-10 kids, all in the same age group and same gender. These teams (which we also used for inter-camp competition) are Olympic-themed, for example “Team USA, Team France, Team Canada”, etc. We have assigned coaches to each team: which are the coaches who are supervising the group at all times. These coaches check to make sure each camper is accounted for through roll calls during transitions (like from the field to the dorms), during room checks before bed at night, during camp trips, and when exiting the pool or swimming area. Coaches are training in our supervision policies (we are ACA-Accredited, so we have about 275+ accredited policies within our programming guidelines) during Staff Training.
What kind of Medical Staff do you have on-site at camp?
At Signature Sports Camp, we do our very best to ensure that each camper who wants to come to camp, can come to camp, no matter the medical restriction. There are situations that we cannot accommodate: since we are a sports camp, each athlete must be able to participate in their sport safely. And we have the medical staff in place to support that goal: we have our Camp Nurse, who is either on-site 24/7 or within a few minutes of campus.
Our Camp Nurse handles medication management, supports our campers with conditions like diabetes, allergies, epilepsy, and so forth, and is available if any camper isn’t feeling themselves while they are with us. We have Athletic Trainers, who provide sports medicine support for our athletes on the field. We provide lifeguards for our campers for not only swimming on campus, but also for camp trips that offer off-site swimming. And each one of our Directors and Sports Leads is certified in CPR, First aid, and AED. So what does all of this mean? Wherever your camper is on campus, there’s a member of our medical staff nearby and ready to assist.
How are the Signature Sports Camp Locations Secured?
Most of our camps are on college campuses or schools, meaning there is campus safety on-site, monitoring entrances, exits, and the grounds at camp. For ALL of our camp locations, we inform EMS, Police, and Fire Departments that we are on campus, and what dates we are on campus for. We do this for a few reasons, some being: if there is a natural disaster the rescue teams know how many minors we have on campus and where we are, if there’s a regional threat we are informed and secured, and if we need assistance, they are already familiar with our group.
On the Field: Personalized Coaching for Every Athlete
How do you ensure each camper gets the coaching they need?
We serve a wide range of skills and ages, plus we are a co-ed camp. This could make things tricky with practice planning, how do we ensure each athlete gets pushed but feels comfortable enough to perform? We separate campers into smaller skill groups on the field. These groups factor in the camper’s gender, age, and skill-level. We take the time to evaluate and ensure each camper is in the right group for them to learn some new skills, level up their IQ of the game, and find the flow and confidence it takes to gain mastery.
What if my athlete comes with a friend who isn’t in their skill group?
We work with both the parents and the campers in these situations. It’s helpful to know if your child is coming to camp with a friend and wants to be with that friend throughout his/her camp experience (in fact we ask about this in our “On Field Planning” Form you fill out after registration). If the buddy is not a good fit in the group they are placed, we typically talk through it with all parties (the athlete and the parents) to get to a plan. Typically this plan starts with the friend group playing down to the skill group of the lesser experienced athlete. After both campers feel comfortable throughout the week, we revisit the conversation to push the more experienced player in the right group for him/her. Typically, after Day 2, both campers are feeling comfortable, starting to make more friends, and are open to exploring different groups on the field. Remember, there’s plenty of time off the field that you’ll see your friends.
Where do we get our coaches?
Our Resident Coaches (the coaches who stay with the campers all week) are some of the most important people at Signature Sports Camp. They are important role models, they ensure each camper is engaged and included, and they have the skills to truly inspire development in the sport. Resident Coaches have colligate playing experience, actively coach in the community, or are alumni of colligate programs (OR *typically* all three!). We hire these coaches by position, so each position on the field is represented (yes, including goalies!). Resident Coaches come back year after year, oftentimes surprising returning campers!
How do the ‘Professional Headliners’ work?
Each sport, each session, has a Headlining Professional Athlete that comes in for a special day and coaches in that sports track. The Pro’s spend time working with each group on the field, leads big group demonstrations, and spends quality 1-1 time (like eating lunch with the campers or leading a Q&A) with the campers. Each day that a Pro stops by ends with pictures and autographs, of course! The days that the Pro’s Headline are always inspiring, exciting, and a great way to get our campers activated on the field.
Planning Your Summer: Where and When Our Camps Take Place
Alright, I’m in, where do you hold camps?
We have camps throughout the USA: we have a Florida Campus, Tennessee Camp, Upstate New York Location, and a New England Camp in New Hampshire. Each location has different dates and sport availability. So if you don’t see your sport offered on the dates you’re interested, at the location of your choice… check out another location! We offer Transportation Packages to help you get your child to camp safely.
What sports are offered where?
Our Florida Campus has our most robust sport offering: we offer soccer, lacrosse, flag football, and volleyball there. In Tennessee and New England, we just offer lacrosse currently, and are quickly expanding into other sports. And finally, in New York we offer both lacrosse and field hockey. Like we said, we are always on the look out for the interest to expand into more sports. If you’d like to see another sport at a specific location, make sure your fill out THIS interest form. We will let you know when we have your sport ready!
So now that you have the gist… we want to leave you with the most important question:
What makes Signature Sports Camp different from the rest?
Well by now you know that we take safety, security, health, wellness, and the on-field programming seriously: we don’t just throw out a few balls on the field and hope it all comes together, we have a full-time dedicated team who works year-round on hiring, training, and scheduling the best sports camp experience possible. But we can’t leave you without mentioning what makes Signature truly unique: the summer camp traditions!! We combine the traditional sleepaway experience with sports camp. Think hiking to waterfalls, beach parties, s’mores under the stars, tubing in the lake, and so many more great memories. At Signature, you get the best of both (all?) worlds.
