What makes playing sports at camp different from playing sports at school?

Camp sports and school sports focus on different end results. While school sports focus on winning and the overall success of the team, camp sports focus on giving opportunities to try new things in a stress-free environment.

For the campers who thrive in an organized-sports setting at school, camp offers a chance to have fun and focus on fundamentals, without the same pressure to “succeed”. It also encourages and motivates kids to try all of the different sports that camp has to offer and not just stick to the ones in which they excel or have the most experience. For the campers who may be less interested in sports at school, camp offers a chance to try a wide variety of sports in a fun, safe, and supportive environment.

A Wide Variety of Sports

Campers are able to try different sports for a short period of time. Camp Kippewa offers Archery, Basketball, Fencing, Field Hockey, Fitness, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, and Volleyball.

The wide variety of sports we offer allows campers to choose one or multiple every week based on their interest, mood, or goals. This variety includes fast-paced activities such as basketball, lacrosse, and soccer, and calmer activities like archery, softball, and volleyball. Also, the sports offer team and individual-sport opportunities. Some campers want to be independent and rely on themselves when learning, while others want team activities to be involved with a team atmosphere and learn from each other.

Having the campers practice in different areas can improve their overall development and skill levels without them even realizing it! Many skills transfer from one sport to the next while continuing to build upon previously learned skill sets. For example, hand-eye coordination is practiced in both softball and archery. In archery, the hands work together to hold the bow while pulling on the string and the eyes are focused on aiming. This concept is similar in softball by having the hand throw a ball and using the eyes to aim at a target to make a successful throw. The combination of different sports performing similar skills helps to improve the overall development of the camper.

Collaboration vs. Competition

Landsports at Kippewa create a safe learning environment of collaboration for many different ages and skill levels. Counselors are trained to teach classes from lesson plans that focus on reviewing old skills, learning new skills, and playing games that include all campers.

Though Kippewa Landsports focus on collaboration and skill development, we also host special events that create a competitive atmosphere. Once a session, each camper is placed on a team and competes against other teams in sporting events, water events, and more. At the end of the event, one team is declared the winner. For the team that finishes last, however, they get the reward first, which is ice cream! Then, the whole camp joins together for one, big dance party. These events create an atmosphere where campers can compete but inevitably come back together as one camp family.

Limited Pressure

The pressure to win and to be the best can be very stressful if a child is in this environment all year round. Participating in sports at camp helps to eliminate this feeling by focusing more on learning skills rather than competing.

Some people thrive on pressure while others do not, which is okay! We want campers to feel comfortable learning new skills and playing with their peers. This will help boost their confidence and help to increase their chances of trying new things. We make sure to include some healthy competition, whether in games or other drills, but the main goals of it are to apply their learning, practice teamwork, and have fun.

Motivation to Try New Things

Organized sports at school limit the amount of sports a child can participate in per season. While having an opportunity to pick their own schedule, campers can sign-up for any sports they have been interested in trying.

Each camper is different in skill-level and that can be intimidating when going into a new class. Our counselors are trained to teach campers who have no knowledge of a sport to campers who are experts. With this variety in classes, it is amazing to see other campers support and teach other individuals that are new to the sport. Not only is this beneficial for the camper learning, it also helps to create a safe and fun environment for all to succeed.

We encourage the campers to participate in activities they enjoy but also pick activities that they might not have the opportunity to participate in outside of camp. Trying new things can be scary! But our goal for camp is to create a fun, safe environment where every child has the opportunity to try new things.