Are the activities for boys AND girls?
Absolutely! When selecting sports and activities for the summer, we strove to ensure they would appeal to everyone. If your child is interested in sports they will enjoy their week with us. Download a sneak peek at some of our activities planned for this year.
What is your policy for special needs children?
We try very hard to accommodate special needs children where we can. There is no strict policy regarding special needs children as several factors depend on our ability to provide an environment suitable to them. Suitability and capabilities vary from site to site. Therefore, if you have a special needs child and they wish to come to Sports Discovery Camp, please contact us and we will review each case independently. Unfortunately we are not able to offer 1:1 care for special needs campers.
What is the age range?
6-14. Although some 5 and a half year olds are permitted to come if the parents indicate they can participate in a way that does not detract from other camper’s experiences.
What are the Camp hours?
Our camp program operates from 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. each day. Drop off begins at 8:30 a.m. and pick up is between 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. We also offer early drop off starting at 8:00 a.m. and late pick up until 5:00 p.m. The fee for this is $5 each per day(or $10 per day for both early drop off and late pick up).
What does a typical day look like?
A typical day starts with a group activity during the half hour drop off period. Then campers are sorted into their age appropriate groups and their sports leader starts the first group sports activity. A break is scheduled mid-way through the morning before campers engage in another group activity before lunch. The afternoon is different where campers have the ability to choose the sports they wish to learn and play. Since it is the summer we do as many outside activities as possible dependent on weather such as rain and heat. Facilities may or may not be air conditioned.
What about lunch and snacks?
Campers bring their nut free lunches and snacks to every location unless it is posted on our website that a lunch option is available.
Sports Discovery Camp is a peanut & nut product aware camp.
Although Sports Discovery Camp encourages nut free products in all of our camps this is NOT mandatory. Please note our facilities are also open centres where nut products could be in the building. Those campers with a peanut or other food allergies are strongly encouraged not to share or trade packed lunch or snack items.
Do you administer medication?
There is at least one staff member at every site that has their First Aid and CPR certification, however, Sports Discovery Camp counsellors DO NOT administer medications. If your child needs medication throughout the day please arrange for a parent or a designate to come and do so. Also, please ensure this information is communicated clearly on the application form when enrolling your child. This being said, in the case of an emergent situation, such as the administration of an epi pen, staff will definitely administer the medication.
Do you have any subsidies for low income families or single parents?
Unfortunately these are very limited currently. While we do receive some funds from various groups to help cover these costs, the demands are higher than the supply. We suggest parents contact their local service clubs and agencies to tap into existing programs that could be applied. A call to your local MPP and MP offices could also yield positive results in some cases.
Are there lots of sports to choose from?
Yes! We have between 15 and 30 sports and activities to ensure the campers are always busy and having fun!
Do you group the kids by ages?
As much as possible, yes. This depends on the location and the support of that location by the local community. In locations where Sports Discovery Camp is completely sold out it is much easier to divide the campers into more groups. In locations where there are a smaller number of campers coming, we can’t afford (as a not-for-profit organization) to employ numerous counsellors for only 10 campers. We try our best to bring Sports Discovery Camps to smaller towns but rely heavily on parents supporting Sports Discovery Camps to be able to break into more groups.
How do we know where to drop off and pick up our children?
We post this information on the website as soon as we receive it from our partner sites. Sometimes this information can take a while to be forwarded to us if a host site has internal procedures they must follow to make drop off and pick up as seamless as possible for parents. An email is sent prior to the start of each Sports Discovery Camp week to all enrolled parents with this information.
Ratio of staff to campers
Typically 6.5:1 across our sites depending on funding through Canada Summer Jobs grants – some variations apply. If volunteers CIT’s (Counsellors-In-Training) apply they are most welcome as well. Each camp location has two leaders and several staff.
Where do you get your summer staff?
Summer staff are primarily university and college students looking for summer employment (a few secondary school students are hired each year as well). Each counsellor has a background or experience in sports and a recent Vulnerable Sector Police Check. Each counsellor receives High Five Sport training.
What happens if my child comes to Sports Discovery Camp and doesn’t like it after the first day? Do I get a refund?
No. As a not for profit we operate very “close to the line”. The costs for sports equipment are high and we cannot afford to offer refunds under this circumstance. We suggest that parents evaluate their situation closely prior to enrolling their child and that should a situation occur where the child indicates they are not “having fun” or “didn’t learn anything”, strongly encourage them to try their best the next day. Children often focus on one thing during the day they did not like but in actuality they had 10 other positive things happen. Another suggestion would be to discuss the situation with the Camp Leaders on site as there is often more to the story.
What is your refund policy?
Refunds are granted in the following circumstances:
One: Refund requests received 30 days or more from the start of each individual child’s first week of summer camp will be granted a full refund minus a 10% administration fee.
Two: Refund requests received 15 to 30 days from the start of each individual child’s first week of summer camp will be granted a 50% refund.
Three: Refund Requests received 14 days or less from the start of each individual child’s first registered week of summer camp WILL NOT be granted a refund. If space allows, we do offer changing attendance to an alternate week. If a camper is moved to a later week and then a refund is requested, no refund will be granted.
Refunds are not granted in the following circumstances:
One: Inclement weather or unforeseen facility closures
Two: Campers removed from Sports Discovery Camp as a result of the three strike policy
Three: A camper simply decides that she or he is “not enjoying” Sports Discovery Camp
Requests for full refunds citing extenuating circumstances after the 14 day cut off must be made in writing and submitted to Head Office by email for consideration. Please send all formal refund requests to support@sportsdiscoverycamp.ca and clearly state the reasoning behind the request.
Please note that if said reason is of a medical nature proof will be required in the form of a doctors note.
Refunds can take 7 to 10 business days to process and are issued directly to the payee using the credit card on file.