Traveling to 6 Points Sports Academy from Irvine for the inaugural camp season, Julie and Anthony Osborn found themselves searching on Google for the unlikely combination of a sports and a Jewish camp in one setting for their children, Molly, 12 a soccer player, and Jessy, 14, a varsity lacrosse player.
“Jessy wanted to attend a lacrosse camp, and we were looking for a Jewish camp experience for her. I was excited to see 6 Points Sports Academy pop right up and went to the website, then called. As important as the sports elements were to the camp, finding one with such a high value placed on Jewish life was pleasantly surprising,” notes Julie.
Molly and Jessy, who have participated in local Jewish camps and traveled to Australia and China with the People to People program, are taking the cross-country trip in stride. “Molly and Jessy can’t wait to experience the high level of coaching in as terrific of a facility as American Hebrew Academy,” adds Julie.
As 6 Points Sports Academy is preparing for its inaugural season, parents are already raving about the choice they have made for their children to attend camp this summer in Greensboro, North Carolina, at the state-of-the-art, 100-acre campus of American Hebrew Academy.
Since 1951, when the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) opened its first camp in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, Reform Jewish camping has been an integral part of the Reform Jewish experience in North America. Without a URJ sports camp, young athletes had to make the tough decision to forgo the fun of a URJ Camp experience to receive intensive sports training at a non-URJ camp. In the summer of 2010, a generation of young athletes will be the first to live the experience of URJ Camping and learn the skills in their chosen sports, all while living Jewishly at 6 Points Sports Academy.
Campers are athletes, ranging in age from 9 to 16, (entering 4th to 11th grade), who are looking to improve their game, meet new friends and explore their own Jewish identity. During two-week sessions, campers participate in intensive training in one chosen sport and select two electives for cross conditioning. These young Jewish athletes will participate in a unique camping experience that offers top-level sports training and all the beloved traditions of Reform camping. Within this community, campers form friendships for life and achieve a higher quality of life as young Jewish athletes.
For a well-rounded Reform camp experience, campers will also participate in a variety of camp activities, while living among other athletes, learning sports and life skills from professional coaches and Jewish counselors. A summer at 6 Points is a sports-filled, Jewish values-infused camp experience unlike any other, according to organizers.
To date, more than 20 states and three other countries are represented with youth coming to 6 Points this summer. The first Jewish sports specialty camp in the United States, 6 Points Sports Academy will open in June, 2010.
Through a grant provided by the Jim Joseph Foundation and assistance provided by the Foundation for Jewish Camp, 6 Points Sports Academy will offer young athletes from all over North America intensive sports training for young athletes who can choose from one to three 12-day summer sessions. The camp offers core training in basketball, soccer, tennis, baseball, and lacrosse, plus other sports electives. This one-of-a-kind sports specialty camp offers intensive training in the individual’s chosen sport, as well as cross conditioning electives.
Campers live in state-of-the-art, air-conditioned dormitories. Each camper will share a room with one or two other campers. Dorm rooms are equipped with: single beds (no bunk beds), desks, dressers and closets. Each dormitory is equipped with modern clean restroom and shower facilities which are professionally cleaned three times a week. Counselors live in the dormitories spread throughout the building. Dorm assignments are made on the basis of secular school grade and/or chronological age, and social and emotional maturity of each camper.
The staff comprises college students and coaches from high schools and colleges. The camp includes competent and energetic young adults who are role models for the core values in the bunks and on the athletic fields. An extensive training program is provided at the start of the summer season and is ongoing throughout the summer. During the summer, staff members are supervised and evaluated by members of the camp leadership team, all of whom have proven experience overseeing the work of staff members. The camp maintains a 1:5 staff-to-camper ratio.
The menu is designed for young athletes; there is well-balanced, nutritious food that is also kid-friendly and tastes good. Almost all meals are served buffet-style in the dining hall, with all campers eating together. Breakfast includes a hot item and cereal, a protein, juice, and fruit. Lunch and dinner always include a hot entrée. A salad bar and fresh fruit are available at all times. Vegetarian options are always offered. The camp makes, accommodations for campers on special allergy or health-related diets. Afternoon snacks are served daily and campers receive milk and cookies at the end of the evening program. 6 Points is a Kosher facility under rabbinic supervision.
6 Points Sports Academy joins 12 other United Reform Judaism (URJ) camps throughout North America serving more than 8,000 campers. Information about the camp and applications for campers and staff are available on the 6 Points Sports Academy website (www.6pointsacademy.org or 6points.urjcamps) For further information on 6 Points Sports Academy, contact Director Randy Colman at (561) 208-1650, RColman@urj.org, or 6pointsacademy@urj.org.
