You are here:About>Sports>Volleyball> Volleyball 101> Getting Ready for Summer> Which Volleyball Summer Camp is Good for My Child?
About.comVolleyball
Newsletters & RSSEmail to a friendSubmit to Digg

Before You Choose a Volleyball Summer Camp

From Coach Houser

Even as I've been planning my own camps, I keep on asking myself, “How can I help my daughter pick a camp where she will derive the most benefit?” If I'm having trouble with this question, then I'm sure that you are struggling also! I've taken teams to 10 different camp locations in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Kentucky. I've run nearly 30 camps myself. As I wrote this article, I asked myself, “Would I send MY child to that camp, or that one, or that one?”

Cost Is Important; Not Too Important

I feel very strongly about one thing: please don't pick a camp because of the cost. Yeah, I'm irritated also when I know that coaches are trying to line their pockets with parent's money. However, some expensive camps are AWESOME. Yet, some inexpensive camps are INCREDIBLE also. When you find a camp that you're comfortable with, and then make your choice, regardless of the camp's cost.

What's NOT Important

  • Where all the Friends are Going. Yeah, they need friends, but pick a camp and then worry about friends.
  • Coaching & Staff Credentials. I may be an awesome coach, but am I a good camp director? Neither age nor number of wins guarantees a coach is a quality camp director.
  • The Brochure / Web Site. The best brochure I've seen is the Univ. of South Carolina. The worst brochure is mine (should I admit that?). Flashy brouchures are not as important as the following steps.

Categories of a Good Camp

There are four different categories that'll help you decide what's best for your daughter. I have placed a "%" at the beginning of each to indicate how much each category should influence you regarding your daughter's summer volleyball camp. It is ironic that nearly all of what you need to know about a camp will not be found in the camp brochure.

Ask Kids Who Previously Attended The Camp How Do They Evaluate It? (35%)

  • Did they stay busy?
  • Did they feel safe?
  • Did they feel like they learned a lot?
  • Did they practice what was being taught?
  • Would they go back again to that camp if given the opportunity?
  • Was the pace of the camp too fast/slow?
  • Were they grouped with players of similar ability?
  • Was the group they worked with approximately 8 to 12 players? More? Less?
  • What other activities were they allowed to do while there?

Ask Parents Of Girls Who have Attended The Camp To Evaluate It? (35%)

  • Did the coach:
    • appear to be enjoying the camp?
    • send you adequate, timely info?
    • appreciate your child being there?
    • deal with unexpected problems optimistically and cheerfully?
    • show that he/she cared about your child?
    • patiently answer all your questions?
  • What was the child-to-coach ratio?
  • Was there an athletic trainer available?
  • Did they tell you what your child should bring?
  • Did the kids have a lot of "down" time?
  • Did they have good supervision of the children?
  • Was the camp a good value?

Who is The Coach in Charge? (15%)

There are several coaches that have such a wonderful reputation as a camp director that I would send my daughter to any of their camps, so matter the cost, the location, or the number of days. The most impressed I've ever been was at Steve Dallman's Elite Camp while he was coaching at Louisville University. There were so many experts at that camp from all over the United States and the kids were so busy and so challenged, I stopped talking and took pages and pages of notes!

How Much Challenge Does She Need/Want? (15%)

Your child may need and may be asking for more challenge. Try to either find a camp that's labeled as "elite" or "advanced," or contact camp directors and say, "Hey, can you offer my daughter any advanced training? Can you create an advanced group at your camp?" On the other hand, you child may be a "greenie" rookie. Make sure that the camp you select has a category for her.
Las Vegas on a Budget

Find a BargainHotel DealsCheap EatsFree AttractionsEntertainment for Less

 All Topics | Email Article | | |
Advertising Info | News & Events | Work at About | SiteMap | Reprints | HelpOur Story | Be a Guide
User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy©2008 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.