Attending a teen sports camp gives young athletes the opportunity to hone their skills while building new friendships and experiencing life away from home.
Nike Sports Camps
The Nike brand goes hand in hand with sports, so it seems natural for the company to sponsor a series of summer camps. Just a few of the available programs include:
- Tennis - Choose from week-long day camps and residential camps. Designed for campers ages 9 to 18, there are programs for Beginner-Intermediate, High School, Tournament and Ranked players.
- Baseball - The baseball program offers overnight camps in addition to a diverse selection of day camp options: stay for a half day, a whole day, or an extended day lasting until 9 p.m. The camps are meant for players from 8-18. Each camp focuses on a unique training program designed by the camp director.
- Basketball - There are Nike basketball camps for girls and boys, with team discounts available. The girls camps are intended for players ages 8 to 17, but the boys camps are only meant for younger teens and tweens, with an age range of 8 to 14. Campers of all levels are welcome, and there are programs devoted to developing overall play and specialized skills like shooting and perimeter play.
All Nike sports camps are available on a variety of college campuses across the U.S. and take place throughout the summer.
College Camps
Many colleges fill their campus with teen sports camps during the summer months. For instance, Cornell University sponsors programs in cross country, wrestling, lacrosse, sailing, field hockey and many more. These programs give campers access to college-level equipment, facilities and coaching while introducing potential students to the university. It also gives campers a chance to sample college life by living in the dorms. Check with your coach or schools in your state for available programs.
Choosing the Right Teen Sports Camp
Which camp is right for you? Consider the following questions to choose the right athletic experience for your needs:
- How intense is the camp? Some serious athletes want to eat, breathe, and sleep sports while others just want to get some exercise and learn some new skills.
- How much will the program cost? What is included in the cost? In addition to fitting a camp program into your budget, examining the costs will make sure you don't have any unpleasant surprises when the bill arrives.
- How far are you willing to travel to attend camp? You can find camps at state universities a few hours away from home and across the country.
- How long are you comfortable staying away from home? With day camp options, you may not even need to take part in a residential program, or you can spend an entire month at some camps.
- Who will staff the camp? Will college coaches or other sports professionals lead the training exercises? Make sure you're getting the best coaching and sports advice possible.
