Modified camps to ensure safety of campers and staff.
Vail, Colorado – The Vail Recreation District is excited to offer an outstanding variety of high-quality summer sports camps, many of which are led by professional athletes and coaches. Camp staff have been working hard to figure out the best ways to provide summer camps during these unusual times. With guidelines and protocols in place, our goal is to make sure campers still have a great experience and learn new skills while remaining safe and preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Included below are just some of the modifications to sports camps this year; there will be more specific guidelines for all camps including drop-off and pick-up protocols. All camps will follow strict sanitization and social distancing guidelines. Visit vailrec.com for more info as well as comprehensive details about summer camp offerings.
These camps range in age from 4 to 18 years old, and cover the sports of baseball, basketball, cheerleading (NEW!), flag football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, lacrosse, mountain biking, pickleball, soccer, tennis and volleyball. Young athletes will leave camp full of experience, knowledge, confidence – and smiles!
To register for sports camps and day camps, visit vailrec.com/register. The Vail Recreation District is also proud to offer the Tom Slaughter, Jr. Memorial Youth Recreation Grant, which provides need- and merit-based awards to deserving youth throughout the valley. For more information and to apply for a scholarship, visit vailrec.com.
SUMMER SPORTS CAMPS – Registration now open!
June 22-26 | Ages 6 and up
Join Colorado State University-Pueblo coach Stan Sanchez and his team for a week of fun! Learn new baseball skills or refine existing ones. This camp is designed for all abilities.
- Half-day option only.
- Campers are required to bring own glove and hat, and are encouraged to bring their own helmet, bat and batting gloves labeled with their name.
- Communal bats will be wiped down with disinfectant after each use.
- Campers without a helmet will be assigned a helmet labeled with their name. They will use this same helmet each day at camp. Coaches will disinfect helmets at the end of each session and store for the next day.
- Each coach will have their own bucket of balls and will spray them down with disinfectant each hour.
- Scrimmaging will be allowed under social distancing baseball/softball protocols. Separate bases for runners and fielders, all outs are force outs, etc.
- Coaches will have all their own equipment to run the session. If stations are used, the coaches will disinfect all equipment as they move their group to a new station.
July 27-30 | Ages 6 and up | Shooting Camp: Ages 10 to 16
Join former NBA All-Star, All-Pro Sydney Moncrief and his award-winning staff as players learn new skills while building on the fundamentals of shooting, passing, dribbling, footwork and defense.
- Two sessions with added time between camps to ensure no overlap. First camp will be shortened to 12:30 p.m. No lunch, just snack breaks.
- Numbers limited to 45 campers in the morning session and 30 campers in the afternoon session.
- Use of two gyms – younger kids will be in the back gym and older kids will be in the main gym. Gym floor tape and cones will be used to designate social distancing training areas for each coaches’ group.
- Each participant will be assigned their own basketball. Basketballs will be left in the gym after each session and thoroughly disinfected by staff after camp each day.
- Even though each child is assigned their own basketball, each coach will spray the balls with disinfectant several times per session.
- Coaches will have all their own equipment to run the session. If stations are used, the coaches will disinfect all equipment as they move their group to a new station.
NEW! SKYHAWKS CHEERLEADING CAMPS
August 3-7 | Ages 4 and up
Skyhawks cheerleading teaches young athletes all the essential skills to lead the crowd and support the home team. Skyhawks’ cheer camp will ensure that each camper will learn cheers, proper hand and body movements and jumping techniques. There is no stunting, just a big focus on fun while each cheerleader learns important life skills such as team building and leadership. The week concludes with a choreographed performance.
- Half-day option only.
- Enrollment is capped at 40 participants.
- Individual skills with social distancing and no skills that require spotting.
- Group cheers and routines will require six feet of distance between campers.
- No pyramids, lifts, throws, catches or multi-person skills.
- Campers will be assigned own pom-poms that are labeled for duration of camp.
FIRST TEE OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS GOLF CAMPS
July – August | Ages 7 and up
Vail Golf Club offers a variety of golf camps where kids will learn fundamentals and etiquette of the game. Designed for young players who are looking to improve golf skills in all areas, camps will include short game, full swing, fitness, course etiquette and rules.
- Class sizes are limited to four campers per instructor.
- Coaches are the only people to touch the golf balls, and will pour balls into the proper spot for play.
- Social distancing required throughout the lesson between instructor and students.
- Golf professional must wear a mask during the course of the lesson.
- Players will bring their own golf clubs and water to the clinics.
- Club rentals are available and one child will use the same set for the class and must be sanitized following use.
July – August | Ages 5 and up
Children will learn how to flip, tumble and spin in these week-long, themed gymnastics camps. Campers will have open gymnastics time, structured learning on all equipment, plus games, crafts and adventures to the parks within Vail Village.
- Enrollment is capped at 30 participants.
- No activities that require spotting for safety will be conducted.
- Additional outdoor rotations and activities added.
- Lunches will be split into smaller groups.
July 6-9 | Ages 7 to 14; beginner and intermediate levels
Athletes will learn the fundamentals of stick handling, cradling, passing and shooting in a fun, non-checking environment. Staff help campers learn not only the sport of lacrosse, but also
important life skills such as respect, teamwork and discipline.
- Half-day option only.
- Enrollment is capped at 45 participants.
- All campers must have their own labeled equipment (boys: helmet, gloves and stick; girls: goggles and stick) and may not share equipment.
- Limited rental kits are available. These must be reserved and picked up prior to camp. Equipment will be marked with child’s name on tape.
- Each coach will have their own bucket of balls and will spray them down with disinfectant periodically.
- Coaches will have all their own equipment to run the session. If stations are used, the coaches will disinfect all equipment as they move their group to a new station.
MINI-HAWK SPORTS TRAINING CAMP
July 20-24 | Ages 4 to 7
This multi-sport program was developed to give children ages four to seven a positive and engaging first step into athletics. The essentials of baseball, basketball and soccer are taught in a safe, structured environment with lots of encouragement and a big focus on fun.
- Enrollment is capped at 45 participants.
- Stations will be used and coaches rotate with their group. Coaches will sanitize all equipment as group arrives at a station. There will be enough balls at each station for one ball per child and coach.
- Awards/t-shirts/camper gifts sent home with camper on last day and given out by individual coach in group.
July 29-August 31| Ages 8 to 14
Participants will learn posture, shifting and cadence to make climbs more efficient, plus balance, bike handling and technical riding to make descending even more fun. We’ll teach trail etiquette, basic bicycle maintenance, nutrition and hydration while riding varied terrain. We are excited to partner with the Ski and Snowboard Club Vail cycling program for coaching and with Vail Resorts for access to Vail Mountain!
- Groups will be kept to 16 campers or fewer; campers will typically be in a group of eight or fewer.
- Campers will maintain social distancing requirements while stationary, otherwise they will wear masks. Children will ride with their mask off but available and will not stop or congregate unless there is an emergency.
- If children need to stop and are not able to maintain social distancing (including needing to wait for other riders to pass), they will wear masks.
- For inclement weather, groups of up to 10 children will be in separate classrooms.
- Children will generally be with the same group throughout the week.
PICKLEBALL CAMPS
Through August | Ages 7 to 17
Weekly pickleball camps offer kids the opportunity to learn how to play one of the fastest-growing sports in the country! Pickleball combines elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton. Camps take place at one of the finest pickleball facilities on Colorado’s western slope, the Golden Peak Pickleball Center.
- Coaches will be assigned no more than eight campers depending on age.
- Activities will be preplanned and focused on skill building with social distancing in mind.
- Should coaches rotate to stations, they will sanitize all equipment when arriving at a new station.
- Camps will make every effort to keep children together with the same children and coach from day to day.
- Coaches will have an area for kids to store their belongings with separation.
August 3-7 | Ages 7 to 14
Skyhawks flag football is the perfect program for young athletes who want a complete introduction to football, or for those who simply want to brush up on their skills in preparation for league play.
- Half-day option only.
- Enrollment is capped at 45 participants.
- Focus on individual skills and agility.
- Each camper assigned own football for individual skills. Their ball will be marked with tape and camper’s name, and will be set out on arrival for easy retrieval.
- Even though each child is assigned their own ball, coaches will spray the balls with disinfectant several times per session.
- Coaches will have all their own equipment to run the session. If stations are used, the coaches will disinfect all equipment as they move their group to a new station.
- Awards/t-shirts/camper gifts/evaluations will be sent home with campers on the last day and given out by individual coaches in groups. No whole camp activities.
July 13-17 or July 20-24 | Ages 4 and up | Registration available at challengersports.com
Challenger soccer camps prepare players for the demands of competitive play by focusing on speed, foot skills, strength, conditioning and more.
- Half-day option only (no lunch).
- Enrollment limit will be based on current public health orders at the time of camp. Staffers will consider adding an afternoon option if morning camp sells out. Morning and afternoon sessions would be separated by at least one hour to ensure no overlap.
- Focused on individual skill building.
- Each child will receive their own soccer ball marked with their name on day one. Campers will be encouraged to decorate at home to make it unique! Children must bring their ball each day to camp. Camp coaches will have a few extra clean balls just in case a camper forgets theirs.
- Even though each child is assigned their own soccer ball, each coach will spray the balls with disinfectant several times per session.
- Coaches will have all their own equipment to run the session.
- Awards/t-shirts/camper gifts/evaluations will be sent home with the camper on the last day and given out by individual coaches in groups. No whole camp activities.
Through August | Ages 7 to 17
Tennis camps will help improve the game of beginner, intermediate and advanced players while teaching hand-eye coordination, technique, footwork and match play. This 2.5-hour, week-long camp will walk students through a stroke a day. Located in scenic Ford Park, there’s no better place to improve your game then at the Vail Tennis Center!
- Coaches will be assigned six to eight campers depending on skill level and will remain with the same group for the entire session.
- Coaches will have an area for kids to store their belongings with separation.
- Activities will be preplanned and focus on technique and skill building with social distancing in mind.
- Tennis racquets will be provided for campers without one; racquets will then be disinfected and ready for the next day’s camp.
- No one other than registered camp and staff will be allowed onto the courts.
June 27-28 or July 25-26 | Grades 2 to 5, 6 to 8 and 9 to 12
Join former professional volleyball player Britney Brown for fun and energetic skill sessions. Work on individual skills and the fundamentals of passing, setting and attacking. The first part of each day of camp will be focused on drills and the second part will be competitive play.
- Three sessions designated by age: elementary school, middle school and high school.
- Maximum of 12 participants per session.
- Two courts will be used.
- Each camper will be assigned their own volleyball for individual skills.
- Volleyballs will be disinfected each hour.
For a full list of summer sports camps and day camps including dates, times and cost, visit
vailrec.com. For questions or more information about summer sports camps, contact the VRD Sports Department at 970-479-2280 or email [email protected].
About the Vail Recreation District
The Vail Recreation District’s mission is to offer diverse and exceptional recreation opportunities that enhance the physical, social and emotional well-being of all its residents and guests. The VRD aims to help Vail Valley residents and visitors pursue their recreational passions by providing the following outlets for competition in summer and winter via a running and a mountain bike race series, numerous tournaments and/or leagues for hockey, volleyball, lacrosse, softball, golf, tennis, soccer, flag football, broomball, figure skating and rugby; venues like Dobson Ice Arena, Vail Golf Club, Vail Nordic Center, Vail Gymnastics Center, Vail Nature Center, Vail Skatepark, Vail Tennis Center, Community Programming, Vail’s Imagination Station and use of additional gyms, playing fields and the surrounding White River National Forest via collaboration with local entities; sports classes and camps for youth, adults and families; and opportunities to learn about and appreciate our Rocky Mountain environment through guided activities, classes and camps.