Choosing the Right Sports Camp

Choosing the right sports camp for your child is an important decision. It needs to take into account the right program for your child’s needs, depending on their interests, their skills, their age, and their sport. And, because of the wide range of youth sports camps available, it will likely require a thorough consideration process and research when deciding which athletic training programs are best tailored to your child.

At IMG Academy, sports camps are available for baseball, basketball, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and cross country, and volleyball. Each camp offers various program types as well as customizable duration options to ensure you can find the best fit for your child.

Consider these program characteristics and selection options to determine which sports camp program is best suited for your athlete:

What types of camps are offered at IMG Academy?

Sports training camps at IMG Academy provide unique training specializations for each athlete based on their specific needs. Our sports camp advisors will guide you throughout the decision-making process to select the best camp, all of which have been curated by our expert coaches to create the conditioning, instruction, and fundamental skills your young athlete needs to take their skills to the next level. Ranging from 3-day winter holiday camps to 3-week summer camps, with overnight and day options available, all camps at IMG are designed for athletic success.

Sport-specific camps

While there are hundreds of techniques young athletes can learn throughout their regular training, sports training camps at IMG focus on improving your child’s sport-specific skills through not only techniques but also through areas such as mental conditioning and strength training.

Training comes in all forms from different coaches and mentors. Although teaching techniques may vary, our ultimate goal is to support athletes in improving confidence, technical skill, athletic conditioning, and other qualities.

Pre-tournament Camps

Pre-tournament camps allow coaches to integrate instruction into sports camp that will ultimately deliver a win later on. At IMG’s camps geared towards pre-tournament and pre-competition prep, athletes will have coaches guiding them throughout every session, offering feedback, technical analysis, training advice, and answering the questions they may have. Camps also integrate useful skills such as how to handle certain situations, including pre-competition prep, competition, dealing with a win vs. a loss, teamwork, and more.

Are there different levels of training?

Based on 40+ years of athlete development, IMG has created four training programs uniquely tailored to help athletes experience a transformation to their game.

• IMG ACADEMY CAMP
  • The IMG Academy Camp program is based around our revolutionary methodology that includes elite sport instruction and core performance training, such as mental toughness and strength and conditioning. This program is designed for athletes who are eager to continue developing their game.
• TOTAL ATHLETE
  • The Total Athlete program combines training from the IMG Camp program, plus 1 daily training specialization session. This program is designed for athletes who want to enhance strength, speed, mental toughness, or other areas of performance.
• BREAKTHROUGH
  • The Breakthrough program combines training from the IMG Camp program, plus one additional session of small group training per day. This program is designed for athletes who want to hone specific aspects of their game with customized and more individualized coaching.
• GAME CHANGER
  • The Game Changer program combines benefits of the IMG Camp, Total Athlete, and Breakthrough programs. This program is designed for athletes who want the ultimate training experience to transform their game.

What time of year is the best?

Each sport has its own unique season that will affect, or even determine, the best time of year for your child to train. Depending on the sport, seasonal training, such as summer athletic camps or spring training camps, might be a beneficial way to continue to strengthen your athletes skills year-round. Depending on your tryouts, travel games, and school seasons, IMG has created a year-round calendar of available camp options to suit your schedule.

Spring Training Camps

If an athlete changes their routine for the winter, they eventually need to get back on track for their upcoming season. After a period of reduced activity or inactivity, your child may be eager to get outside and train or exercise at the same level they did at the end of the last season. A spring training camp with a tailored program and even a position-specific focus will allow the athlete to get back into the game in a safe, strategic way that ensures better overall performance for the season ahead.

Summer Camps

Summer athletic camps are a great way for athletes to improve. Not only is this when many sports teams are no longer in-season, it’s also when schools are out of session. Having minimal structured sporting activities with a school or travel team for the entire summer break can hinder athletes’ skills. By choosing a summer training camp, your child will stay active and have fun as the summer weeks roll by, while becoming both a better athlete and a better teammate.

Winter & Holiday Camps

Winter break is the perfect time for children to attend a camp at IMG Academy. Based in sunny Florida, IMG’s year-round training facilities are the ideal location for athletes seeking to escape the cold. Give your child the gift of attending an immersive camp experience, where they will gain new abilities and improve their athletic performance. Camps can also be an enjoyable family experience, as IMG offers adult camp programs as well as options for various Legacy Hotel packages depending on your needs.

What are the benefits of attending a sports camp?

In sports, players rely on each other to succeed. The application of unity and teamwork in athletic camps also encourage children who are proficient at a sport to help others on their team. With professional coaching and camps that provide instructions in a safe environment, young athletes can hone their strengths and refine their weaknesses while meeting other dedicated individuals from around the world.

When you register your child for a sports camp at IMG Academy, you’ll not only be able to set them on a path toward improving their athletic training and sport-specific skills, you’ll also be able to profoundly impact additional skills that will be important to their development, such as their confidence and their team building skills. From learning interpersonal skills to maintaining healthy and active lifestyles, sports training camps and athletic programs provide holistic benefits as your child continues to grow both as an athlete and as an individual.

Want to learn more about camps at IMG Academy?

With unparalleled training, world-class facilities open every day of the year, and expert coaches in tennis, soccer, golf, basketball, lacrosse, track and field, football, and baseball, IMG Academy has the right camp for every student-athlete. In addition to sport- specific training, our programming is differentiated by the unique, specialized instruction campers can take advantage of to advance their skill sets. Whether it’s strength & power, speed & agility, mental performance, leadership and communication, recovery+, athlete assessment & injury prevention, or an ESL course, our specializations can be added to camp packages to enhance each athlete’s experience (see Total Athlete, and Game Changer programs for more information above.).

*Revised Feb. 21, 2023