As the school year ends and summer begins, flyers for camps pop up everywhere. Each summer a ton of programs from Bowie hold camps and opportunities for not only the current student body in specific programs, but also for younger kids.
Most of the athletic and fine arts programs offer camps throughout the summer. For returning athletes or incoming freshmen, some of these camps are mandatory to keep players in shape or get them into shape for the upcoming season of their chosen sport.
“For football, the camps in the summer are full of conditioning and lifting to prepare us for the season, and are barely skill based,” sophomore Ryan Cormier said. “They are required.”
Most athletic camps are required like football to keep their athletes in shape. Or just to prepare them for the upcoming school year and season.
Like Cheer and UCA camp. UCA is a required team bonding experience that also is a way to improve the functions of a cheer team and their overall performance level.
“UCA is really nice because even though it’s not optional we still have a lot of fun and get to get closer with the rest of the team,” sophomore Avery Fechter said
Most of these programs also hold kiddie camps, some of the most popular being Bowie Cheer camp, and Silver Star Dance camp.
Most of the kiddie camps have different day options for parents to choose from, like half-day versus full-day. The prices of these camps vary from $125-$500 and also change based on the choice of half or full days.
“I think cheer kiddie camp is worth the price because it gives the kids a week of fun with the older kids that they potentially look up to,” junior Aisley Bennett said. “They are also active during the entire week and it gives the kids something to look forward to.”
Not only do the summer camps make for a fun week for the campers, but the Bowie students also find enjoyment in working at the camps.
“My favorite part of kiddie camp is getting to know the kids throughout the week,” Bennett said. “It’s so fun to form relationships with them, get to know their personalities, and serve as a sort of mentor.”
While these camps do serve as fun opportunities for the kids and families surrounding Bowie, they also benefit the programs.
“Kiddie camp helps the cheer program a lot,” Bennett said. “On the financial side, it helps fund a lot of our competitions, but it also gets our name out there to gain support for other fundraisers and games.”