Sports Summer Camps: Do They Really Learn Skills?

If you really want to improve your field hockey skills this summer, or your skills in any other sport for that matter, then you might begin to consider going to a sports camp. Almost any sport that you might want to learn is likely to have a camp dedicated to teaching it.

However, before you take the plunge, you probably want to know if sports camps are legitimate learning experiences or if they are just intended to be a place to have a good time by playing the sport with other people who want to play it.

Sports camps are a lot of fun. However, while you are there, be prepared to learn a lot and work hard. When you go home, you are going to be a better player with a lot of new friends.

What Type of Instructors Work at Sports Camps?

Obviously, the type of an instructor you get at a sports camp is largely dependent on what type of camp you attend, where it is, and what level player you are. However, what can be said here is that many camps have very high level instructors.

Camps might employ counselors who are

· High school and college coaches
· College players
· Varsity high school, tournament, or club team players (this is usually for campers who are younger and have less playing experience)
· Current and former Olympic players and coaches and professional players (this is usually for campers who are much more elite).

No matter the club you attend, it is likely that the instructors there are going to be at a higher level than you, which means you will have a lot of opportunities to be guided by their knowledge.

Apart from the actual skills you will learn at camp, the instructors can help you in other ways as well. For example, if you are trying to make varsity in the fall, play in college, or play professionally, and your instructors have reached those goals, they can give you advice on what it is like and how they made it.

What Type of Skills Do You Learn at Sports Camps?

Because every individual camp is going to be just a little bit different, all we can do is generalize here. However, all camps are going to teach the basics. What will mainly be different is the level you are going to be learning these skills.

· Strategy, communication, sportsmanship, etc. No matter the sport you are learning, there are going to be skills that all players need to learn. For example, how to communicate with your teammates, be a smart player, and be a good winner and loser are things you need to know in every sport.

· Defense. Assuming you are not learning an individual sport like golf, you are going to need to know how to play defense. You cannot win games if you do not stop the other team from scoring, so defensive skills are always important.

· Offense. In every sport, you need to know how to score, get points, or do whatever it is that gets you a win in that particular sport. Developing top-notch offensive skills is an important way to improve your playing level. Especially if you plan on being the one scoring.

· Special positions. Many different sports have positions that require special skills and knowledge. For example, the goalie in many sports or the pitcher and catcher in baseball and softball all require special training. Many camps offer special sessions to cater to these positions.

What Kind of Regime Do You Perform at Sports Camps?

Sports camps are truly developed around the sport. When you go to one, you are going to be working hard. Whether you go to an overnight camp or a day camp, your schedule will be very sport-centric.

At a day camp, you will probably start out the day gearing up and taking the field. You will probably go from session to session learning the various skills being taught there. In between sessions, there will likely be short breaks, with a lunch break in the middle of the day.

In the afternoon, you will probably get to scrimmage and play small games in order to practice the skills you have been learning. Then, you will go home to do whatever you want to do until the next day when you start over. You will likely want to get a lot of sleep in that time.

At an overnight camp, your experience will be fairly similar but you might have longer breaks in between sessions where you can swim or relax, with lessons and scrimmages going later in the day. Instead of going home at night, you will be able to hang out with all your new friends and discuss everything that has happened. There will likely be fun activities, like watching movies, at night.

Will You Have Any Fun at Sports Camp?

So hopefully by this time you have realized that sports camps are not jokes. If you decide to go to one, you are going to be working hard and learning a lot. However, while this is going to be tough, it does not have to mean that it is not fun.

· First, if you love the sport, then playing it all day is going to be a lot of fun on its own. Plus, knowing that all these skills you are learning is going to get you in great shape and help you meet your playing goals are just icing on the cake.

· Second, you are going to have some free time to hang out with your fellow campers and make lasting connections and friendships. These are going to be people who love the same sport that you do. So get ready to make a lot of friends.

You are not going to just learn, you are going to have fun while you do it. So if you are really serious about improving your skills this summer, then you might truly benefit from finding a sports camp that caters to the sports that you want to learn.