For parents sending their child to a summer sport camp, it is never too early to start planning. Many popular camps fill quickly - sometimes within hours of starting enrollment. For camps with a sports emphasis, the usual summer camp questions apply, such as: activities, staffing, safety, references and schedule. However, sport camps add extra questions to the mix, such as:

• Does your child want to go? Will he or she still want to go in the summer after completing the next season?


• Will camp provide your child enough time to recharge between seasons?


• Is the purpose of the camp fun, work or both? Is your child in agreement with this goal?


• Is the camp fee viewed as an investment in skills or in memories?

While a good sport camp can improve a child's skills for the fall, it is unlikely that a single camp will make dramatic improvements. Years later, the primary benefit of the camp will be the good memories of attendance.

When considering which sport camp to attend, parents may also want to consider these alternatives:

• Consider a camp in a sport other than your child's primary sport.


• Consider a camp in another state and integrate attendance with a family vacation.


• Consider summer recreational league play.


• Consider using the camp money on private lessons.


• Do nothing. Use the time to recharge and do other family activities.

There are a large number of sport camps to appeal to almost every need. By ensuring that fun and future memories are a large part of selection process, parents can continue to keep their child playing longer and better in youth sports.