The Positive Benefits of Sports Camp

Many studies have been done on the positive effects of summer camps for children. It has been shown that it increases self-confidence, boosts morale, decreases depression, improves their ability to socialize and make friends, and has many other benefits. That is one of the reasons why it has continued to be a popular activity that parents send their children to participate in. (One could imagine that if it weren’t for such benefits, a parent would be far more apprehensive about sending their child away from their care for an entire week to a campground with people they have possibly never met.) But aside from Hollywood’s imagined horror stories, summer camp has remained an extremely safe and healthy environment for children over the decades. One specific type of camp that is hugely beneficial to both the health and mental wellness of a child is a sports camp. It’s a sports camp, regardless of what sport they choose, where children can learn the added benefits of self-discipline, hard work, dedication, and higher levels of working with a team.

On top of that, a sports camp is also incredibly beneficial to their physical health. In contrast, while a typical summer camp does include the outdoors and physical activity, sports camp challenges the campers by operating at an even higher level of physical exertion. This is, of course, monitored carefully by specially trained nurses and coaches to ensure the kids are not harmed or pushed too far past their limits. Plus, in many cases, these campers will often work with professional athletes in their specific chosen arena. Therefore, they are getting the added benefit of learning from those who have excelled in their field and can teach them skills and techniques that they may otherwise not have been able to learn independently.

While these camps are more intense than a typical summer camp, they are not without their fun. These camps often include breakout sessions to give them a “timeout” from physical activity and better help them learn about themselves and their teammates. These activities often include trust exercises or communication games that help them better learn to work as a team.  Not to mention, because they are athletes, the food at these camps tends to be better, tastier, and healthier for the campers. They are not only learning how to improve their craft but also how to take care of their bodies and their minds better. These benefits add up to a well-rounded individual who can take these skills and abilities and apply them in every aspect of their lives. When children leave one of these sports camps, they have learned skills to improve upon in their sport of choice, helping them to excel more in the coming fall or spring, helping them learn more about themselves, and better equipping them to be an all-around individual of strong character.

So, if your child shows a strong interest in a particular sport, check into the different types of camps geared towards them, their interests, and their abilities. You would be helping them improve their skill set as well as help them better succeed in every aspect of their lives. The child that you send off to a sports camp will come back more confident, have better mental health, will have improved their abilities, and will have made memories that will last a lifetime.

Gearing Up For Summer Camp

Today is going to be all about summer camps. The question is, what type of summer camp is best? Is it your stereotypical let’s sing silly songs and play fun team games type of camp? Or is it your more specialized nerd camps like band camp, chess camp, or space camp? Or is it the more intense and cool camps for your jocks like basketball camp, soccer camp, or volleyball camp? The answer? It depends on your kid. This answer may not be helpful or insightful. However, depending on your child’s interests and personality, the camp of choice will vary. If you have a shy kid who prefers more quiet activities and shows an interest in science, space camp may be the right choice for them. Or do you have a more athletic child who is looking to up their game and skill to the next level? Then sports camp is the answer for them.

Regardless of what camp you end up sending your child to, there are a few things to keep in mind. The first one is cost. This is the biggest deal breaker on whether or not a child can spend a week away at summer camp. You do not want to break the bank; however, as the adage goes, you get what you pay for. It may be worth spending a little extra for your child to have the most optimal experience possible, as studies have shown there are several benefits to almost any type of camp that can help their physical and mental well-being. Another factor to consider is location. Is the camp local, or must you drive far away to take your child to camp? The further away it is, the harder it will be to get to them quickly in the unfortunate and unlikely event that something were to occur. (Even if this means they are homesick and want to come home.) Also, what type of climate is it? Are you in the great up north, where you possibly will have warm but cooler weather, or are you in the blistering heat of Arizona and Texas, where they will need to ensure they’re staying on top of their hydration? These are all crucial things to consider when sending your child off to camp to know how to prepare them for their adventure best.

What to send with them to camp is also another thing to keep in mind when preparing to send your child away from your care for a week or more. Keep a list of items that they will for sure be needing while they are gone, as well as some non-essentials but things that you think that they would enjoy—also, make sure that they have the proper clothing so that they won’t be needing to do any laundry while they’re away. You also want to ensure that you note any specific requests, allergies, or conditions your child might have that their counselor or other leaders at the camp will need to be aware of. It’s best to have this written down so that every person who will be taking care of them will be made aware of whatever concerns you may have. It is also best to have multiple copies so that the office, the counselor, and any other leaders can have it in their possession. But most importantly, you want to make sure that you are sending your child away to a place that they are going to enjoy, have fun, learn more about themselves, and make memories that will last a lifetime.