If you are thinking about enriching your skills at field hockey camp this summer, you probably have a lot of questions about what you will learn and who will be teaching you. While the answers to these question depends on factors such as which camp you attend, your age, your skill level, and the amount of effort you will put into working on and improving your skills, there are some general things that can be said about field hockey camp that will likely apply to yours.
So what exactly is the typical day at field hockey camp like, anyway?
A Day in the Gear of a Field Hockey Camper
While, as already noted, a day in the life of a field hockey camper is dependent on many other factors, most camps cover many of the same things, just in different orders. For example, you are likely to learn defensive skills at whatever field hockey camp you select, but camp A might teach it in the morning where camp B might teach it in the afternoon.
Another big scheduling consideration is whether the camp you are attending is a day camp or an overnight camp. For obvious reasons, these two types of camps will have very different schedules. Though, like all camps of any length, both of these camps will still cover all of the basic skills.
Example Day Camp Schedule
While the order and length of times are very likely to change camp by camp, here is an example of a day time field hockey camp you could find when you go to camp:
8:30 Arrive/Check-in
9:00 Gear Up and Stretch and Warm Up
9:15 Field Hockey Session
10:15 Break and/or Skills demonstrations
11 Field Hockey Session
12 Lunch (depending on the camp, this might be brought by you or provided by the camp)
1 Field Hockey Session
2 Scrimmages
3 Leave
During the field hockey sessions, campers will learn various defensive, offensive, and special skills. Goalies will be taught skills unique to their position, as well.
Example Overnight Camp Schedule
At overnight camp, you will learn the same skills that the campers at day camp learn, but you will also have more socializing and strategy time to really get to know your fellow field hockey lovers.
Here is an example schedule for a day at an overnight field hockey camp
7 Wake up
7:30 Breakfast
8:30 Gear up
8:45 Stretch/Warm up
9:00 Field Hockey Session
11 Skills demonstrations
11:30 Break
12 Lunch
1 Free time/Swimming
2 Field Hockey Session
3 Mini Scrimmages
5 Free time
5:30 Dinner
6:30 Strategy sessions
7:00 Scrimmages
8:00 Camp activities, i.e., bon fires, movies, etc.
9:30 Showers
10 Lights out
How Tough Is Field Hockey Camp?
When you go to field hockey camp, do not expect it to be easy. No matter the skill level you come to camp with, the ultimate goal of camp is to have you leave a much better player. In order to do this, though, you have to put in a lot of hard work.
Camps start in on field hockey lessons almost from the moment you arrive, and they continue until you leave. While there are short rest and meal breaks, if you are at a day camp, you can expect field hockey to be the main focus and if you are at overnight camp, you can expect it to be the main focus during the day and an important focus at night.
What this means is that if all you are looking for is a fun, no-stress summer experience where maybe you get to go out on the field and play a scrimmage now and then, then field hockey camp is likely not for you. There are many general summer camps that might have field hockey equipment where you can go to relax, with the occasional field hockey game mixed in.
However, if you want to work hard over the summer and become the best player you can be, then you will love field hockey camp. Because the day in the life of a field hockey camp is long, grueling, and sweaty, but when you make the varsity team, get bumped up to starter, or get into the college you want to attend on a field hockey scholarship, all that hard work is more than worth it.
Why My Attitude Matters
One of the most important ways that field hockey camps differs from camper to camper is in attitude. How you perceive camp and instruction will vastly affect how well you learn and enjoy camp.
Let’s say that Mary is a camper at XYZ field camp and so is Susan. Mary comes into camp thinking she knows everything and that she will show everyone else up. There is nothing that camp can teach her, she just wants to show off her skills. Susan is a good player, but she knows that she can be better. She knows that the counselors at the camp are talented and have a lot of experience. Even if she doesn’t learn a single new skill, though she is sure she will, benefitting from the experience of the counselors who have played in college and beyond, will help her in her future playing career.
If you had to decide which of these two players was going to have a better time and learn more at camp, which would you pick? See? Attitude says a lot.
If you go to camp thinking you are going to learn a lot and develop as a player, while still having a lot of fun, then you will do exactly that. There is only so much a couch can do. The rest is up to you.
While every camp and camp experience is going to be different, just like no two campers are going to be the same, there are some things you can say about most, if not all, field hockey camps. When you go to one, you are going to spend your time having a lot of fun and developing skills that will serve you through the rest of your field hockey career.
