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Bay Area Disc Association Youth Camp, California, Camp, Chicago Ultimate Training, CUT, Frisbee, High School, IL, Illinois, Iowa, Israel, Larchmont, Layout Ultimate Camp, Luther College Ultimate Frisbee Summer Camp, Maine, Massachusetts, Matthew Spillum, MN, National Ultimate Training Camp, NC, New York, Next Level, Next Level Ultimate Camp, North Carolina, NUTC, NY, Oregon, PA, Pennsylvania, Program, Sports Camp, summer, Tiina Booth, Ultimate, Ultimate Peace Summer Camp, USA Ultimate, WI, Youth
***I made some updates and checked links as of 5/25/12***
Oh… To Be a Kid Again…
One of the things I wish I could’ve done when I first started playing disc in high school, at NMH, was go to an Ultimate (Frisbee) Summer Camp. Of course now that I’m too old to attend one, I keep hearing about them popping up all over the United States and even internationally. The first one I heard about just after graduating high school was the National Ultimate Training Camp (NUTC). It was started in 2001 by Tiina Booth — the Amherst Hurricanes coach. Being the first overnight Ultimate program of its kind, it has drawn some of the top competitors both as campers and staff, creating, as they say, “Ultimate… for the next generation”.
Since NUTC’s inception other programs have sprung up, growing with the explosion of Ultimate’s youth divisions. Each camp aims at developing players at all levels and offers day and overnight experiences. Some programs even receive support from companies like 5 Ultimate or VC Ultimate. I guess it is a great time to be a youth player!
Here is a sampling of some of the Ultimate Summer Programs I found (info current as of original post date):
1. Bay Area Disc Association’s Youth Camps (Link) – “The Youth Division [of the Bay Area Disc Association] is committed to serving the youth community through summer camps, teaching clinics, and club leagues. We provide support to new and existing teams, coaches, and players at the high school and middle school levels” (Quote from website).
- Ages – 8 to 15
- Gender – Co-Ed
- Location(s) – Berkeley, CA and San Mateo, CA
- Dates – Berkeley from June 27th to July 1st at King Middle School; San Mateo from July 11th to July 15th at Laurie Meadows Park
- Day or Overnight – Day Camp
- Costs (2011 session)– $210 per session
2. Chicago Ultimate Training (CUT) Camp (Link) – “This camp is for high school players that want to improve their game. It will have expert coaches that have played Ultimate for years. Players will be at the camp all day and have practices twice a day” (Quote from website).
- Ages – Grades 9 – 12
- Gender – Co-Ed
- Location(s) – Chicago, IL
- Dates – July 11 -16
- Day or Overnight – Day Camp
- Costs (2011 session)– Before April 1st = $325; Regular tuition = $365; Tuition after 05/16 = $400
3. Layout Ultimate Camp (Link) -“Layout Ultimate Camp will focus on the fundamentals of throwing, catching, and cutting, as well as team strategy and lots of actual game play. The camp is open to anyone ages 12 and up, and no prior experience is necessary. CUT: College Ultimate Training is a twice-a-week, more advanced evening program for players ages 14 and up. Prior experience is not necessary, but encouraged. Check out the Camp Details section for more information on both of our programs” (Quote from Website). Sadly, I just read that they were unable to run the weekly program this summer. They are still doing the College Ultimate Training, though. Good Luck!
- Ages – 12 and up
- Gender – Co-Ed
- Location(s) – Larchmont, NY
- Dates – Session 1: July 5th-July 8th; Session 2: July 11th-July 15th; Session 3: July 18th-July 22nd; Session 4: July 25th-July 29th
- Day or Overnight – Day Camp
- Costs (2011 session)– $250 per week; $75 per week (CUT)
4. Luther College Ultimate Frisbee Summer Camp (Link) – “Luther Ultimate team captains and players invite you to be part of an exciting four-day camp for dedicated high school Ultimate players, as well as first-time players. We will teach you the skills that will make you a better player and share the spirit of the game that makes Ultimate the ULTIMATE sport” (Quote from website). Check out this great Youtube video put together by the camp.
- Ages – 14 to 19
- Gender – Co-Ed
- Location(s) – Luther College, Decorah, Iowa
- Dates – June 23-26, 2011
- Day or Overnight – Both options
- Costs (2011 session)– Full Resident: $285 (meals, housing, materials); Day Camper: $235 (noon and dinner meals, materials); Commuter: $195 (materials only — no meals)
5. Maine Ultimate Camp (Link or Facebook ; UPDATE: 5/25/12 Links are broken, not sure if program still runs) – “Ultimate campers will learn to improve their throwing, running, catching, and off the disk movement. Morning sessions will emphasize drills and technical instruction. Afternoon sessions will focus on playmaking and game skills learned in scrimmages with campers and staff members. Players will be taught how to improve strength, fitness, agility, and quickness through our dynamic and Spartan outdoor exercise curriculum. Coaches will combine traditional and innovative exercises” (Quote from Website).
- Ages – 7th grade to PG year
- Gender – Co-Ed
- Location(s) – Raymond, ME
- Dates – July 10-15, 2011
- Day or Overnight – Overnight
- Costs (2011 session)– $550 Team Rate (4 or more campers from same school or club), $595 Regular, $700 after June 15
6. National Ultimate Training Camp (Link or Facebook or Blog) – “The best way to learn ultimate is to play ultimate. Campers will be first introduced to essential ultimate skills, drills and strategy. They will have many opportunities to practice what they learn in daily scrimmages.Individualized help will be available at all times: our counselor-to-camper ratio will be around 1:8. Each session will culminate with an all-camp tournament and awards ceremony that we welcome parents and families to attend” (Quote from Website).
- Ages -14 to 18
- Gender – Co-Ed
- Location(s) – Amherst, MA
- Dates – Session A July 9-14 ; Session G July 16-21 (NUTC Gold for Players 17-18); Session B July 23-28; Session C July 30-August 4
- Day or Overnight – Both options
- Costs (2011 session) – Day Camp: $689 by 6/4; $739 after 6/4; Overnight (MA resident) $745 by 6/4; $795 after 6/4; Overnight (MA non-resident) $799 by 6/4 $849 after 6/4
7. Next Level Ultimate Camp (Link or Facebook) – “Becoming a complete Ultimate Frisbee player means developing athletic ability, knowledge of the game, self-esteem, confidence, sportsmanship, team concept and a positive attitude on and off the field. Next Level Ultimate Camp provides high school players with an opportunity to elevate their game during the summer months. Our counselors help athletes develop these skills by coaching them through five days of the same drills and focused scrimmages used by top university and club level players” (Quote from Website).
- Ages – 14 to 18
- Gender – Gender specific sessions and a co-ed clinic
- Location(s) – Madison, WI (Boys); Eugene, OR (Boys or Girls); Minneapolis, MN (Co-Ed Day Clinic)
- Dates – Boys: July 9-14, 2011 (WI); Girls: July 23-28, 2011 (OR); Boys: July 23-28, 2011 (OR); Boys/Girls: August 18-20, 2011 (MN)
- Day or Overnight – Both Options
- Costs (2011 session)– Day Camper: $545 before 6/4/11, $575 after 6/4/11; Overnight Camper: $695 before 6/4/11, $725 after 6/4/11
8. NV Wildcat Ultimate Frisbee Summer Camp (Link) – “This camp will be two weeks long and is about learning the game and playing. During the first week, we will be working on understanding the game, the fundamentals involved, and the various offenses and defenses that are used. During the second week, we will be breaking up into teams and practicing with our teams. We will have games against one another with a huge tournament on the last day” (Quote from Website).
- Ages – Grades 5 to 12
- Gender – Co-Ed
- Location(s) – Naperville, IL
- Dates – June 20 – July 1st
- Day or Overnight – Day
- Costs (2011 session)– $120
9. Philadelphia Ultimate Camp (link) – “‘The Philadelphia Ultimate camp first opened its doors, or fields rather, in the summer of 2004, hosting 18 campers the first year. Since then the camp has expanded to include over 36 in 2005. More than 48 campers are anticipated to attend in 2006, spending the week on the field learning the fundamentals of Ultimate” (Quote from Website). The Philadelphia Ultimate Camp advertises multiple sessions and locations on its main page under the news section. Below you will see a sampling of information from two of the sessions offered. Visit their site for additional sessions and locations.
- Ages – 8 to 19 depending on session and location
- Gender – Co-Ed
- Location(s) – Wyncote, PA, Havertown, PA
- Dates – Session 1: June 20 – 24 (Wyncote); July 18 – 22 (Havertown); see site for more dates and locations
- Day or Overnight – Day
- Costs (2011 session)– $275 (Wyncote), $95 (Havertown)
10. Triangle Youth Ultimate League Camp (link and Facebook) – To be honest, I am a little unsure if the Triangle Youth Ultimate League Camp still exists. The League looks like it is flourishing, but as far as a specific camp… I’m not sure. The website is a little hard to navigate, so I cannot find concrete information about a camp. I learned about this one through the USA Ultimate article run in 2010, so maybe the organization decided a traditional league was best since then. I didn’t want to remove them from this list because it looks like they have a great youth program, and it is possible that a camp still exists.
- Ages – All Youth under 19 years old
- Location(s) – Raleigh, NC; Durham, NC; Chapel Hill, NC
- Dates – 6/1/12 – 8/11/12
- Day or Overnight – ?
- Costs (2012 session)– ?
11. Ultimate Peace Summer Camp (Link or Facebook or Five Ultimate) – “Ultimate Peace is a young organization, yet we have high hopes of spreading the joy of throwing a disc and playing ultimate on a global level, especially in areas where more understanding and cooperation are needed. We began our work in the Middle East in April of 2009, and continue to deepen and broaden the impact of our regional program today. In March 2011, we will announce the next phase of our work, including new regions around the world” (Quotes from Website). Ultimate peace was established by founders Dr. David Barkan (California), Dori Yaniv (Israel), and Linda Sidorsky (Massachusetts) in the spring of 2008. Here is a short Youtube Video created by Jeff Landesman combining images and videos from 2010.
- Ages – Youth
- Gender – Co-Ed
- Location(s) – Acco, Israel
- Dates – July 7 – 18
- Day or Overnight – Day
- Costs (2011 session)– Non-Profit Funded by Donations
Please let me know if any information is incorrect, and I will update it immediately. Thank you for visiting my blog, and have a great summer of playing Ultimate!
Selected Sources and Websites:
Spillum, Matthew. “Happy Campers.” USA Ultimate Magazine. Spring 2010: 10-12.
http://www.bayareadisc.org/camps/
http://www.chicagoultimatetraining.com/
https://www.luther.edu/programming/camps/frisbee/
http://nutc.net/
http://www.nvultimate.com/summercamp.htm
http://slovenskicamps.com/frisbee/
http://67.214.211.34/index.php/leagues-3/summer-league/
http://www.ultimatecamp.com/index.htm
http://www.ultimatepeace.org/
Newly added 5/25/12
Township of Abington, PA Summer Frisbee Program:
http://abington.org/parksrec/programs_youth.htm#frisbee
USA Ultimate Day Camps:
http://www.usaultimate.org/resources/camps/default.aspx