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Recruiting Tip of the Week

Picking the Right Summer Sports Camp
By Dan Tudor, Recruit
05/25/2002

Last week we talked about the importance of finding a summer camp if you are a high school athlete. Camps can provide you with the additional training and development that can give you an edge when you return to competition after summer vacation.

This week, let's talk a little bit about how to choose the camps that would be best for you.

First, realize that most summer camps - including the camps that are run by college coaches at their universities - are intended to make money. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing; the money often goes towards that program's operating costs, or as additional pay to the program's coaching staff. It's not reasonable to expect college camps to operate while losing money.

However, you want to keep the fact that camps are revenue generating events in mind when choosing a camp because you will want to make sure that you - the consumer - get the most for your money. Here are some easy to follow guidelines when it comes to choosing a summer sports camps:

ˇ Choose a camp recommended by your high school or club coach. They may have lots of experience when it comes to working with individuals who conduct camps in your area, and would be able to give you their recommendation on the most worthwhile camp for you to attend. Before school gets out, make sure to get their recommendation on a reputable summer sports camp.

ˇ Pick camps that are run by college coaches. Even if they don't take notice of you, attending a camp operated by college coaches gives you an idea of what kind of person that college coach is. If they start recruiting you, at least you would be able to look back at your experience with their summer program and know whether or not they would be the kind of coach you would want to work with at the college level. Plus, the instruction at these camps is usually very good.

ˇ Look at position specific camps. There are lots of camps that focus not only on certain sports, but also certain positions within that sport. Football camps come to mind when it comes to individualized instruction for certain positions. Try to find individualized instruction for your position.

ˇ Opt for private instruction instead of camps. This is a more costly option, but you may want to pass on the whole summer sports camp idea altogether and focus on working with a local personal coach in your sport. Athletes that choose this option usually see great results.

For more information on college camps around the country, visit www.studentsports.com and click on their "Camp Finder" link.

Good luck! Make sure you focus on getting better this summer!