The prices of summer camps are sky rocketing. I think it's absolutely ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I truly believe camp experiences are important, but don't be tricked into believing that the best camps are the most expensive camps.
Here are a few tips to help you search for the "best" cost-efficient camps:
- Check out local Colleges and Universities. Many college coaches run summer camps with the help of their athletes. Because they are affiliated with the schools, they tend to be less expensive than camp programs that are brought in from other areas.
- Check out local school systems, including your own system and other systems. High school coaches and their athletes are often great instructors. If you can't make it to a camp in your own school system, check out other schools. For example, if the school across town is known for their great baseball program, most likely your child will learn alot from that camp. Sometimes it's great for your child to get some coaching for a week with a different point of view than their regular coaching. Also, it's always beneficial for your child to play a sport with kids he doesn't know.
- Check out other local sports organizations. Your child might play on your local travel team, but that doesn't mean he has to do the local camp. Is there a pro team in your area? Are they running a camp? Often, retired or current pro athletes will run summer camps at reasonable costs to raise money for charities. Your child will learn skilled athletes, and you can feel good about the money going to a charity. You can't get more for your money than that!
Go ahead and send your child to camp, but don't feel guilty if you want to be economical about it. They'll still have a great experience!
