Security at Kids's Camps

We love sports at our house and both of my kids are playing outdoor soccer this summer through CYSA. What a great assocation! My son recently attended their soccer camp and had a blast playing all sorts of soccer games. His skill level noticeably improved and, as a 6 year old, he left with a better understanding of the game . However, what impressed me the most was the camp’s security.

Security at kids camps is a serious issue. We leave our kids in the hands of people we do not know and basically trust that they will be well taken care of – trust can be a scary thing. My kids have attended a lot of camps over the years, some have good security and some, I am sad to say, don't. The initial week that my daughter attended her first year at Winding Trails Girl Scout camp was a bit scary. I almost pulled her. While she was having a great time at the camp which is located in the middle of Russian Jack Park, I was having a hard time with the drop off and pickups. It was very haphazard. Because of the tight parking, parents were not supposed to park and drop kids off, but rather were to let the kids out of their cars and drive off. The kids ended up wandering around until a camp counselor got them. There was not sign in and the 2nd day they let my sister pick her up without checking to her id or the pickup list to see if she was allowed to. I was not the only parent concerned and the GS office got quite a few calls about the it. Needless to say the security drastically improved and we stayed in the camp. We have gone back over the years and I have recommended the camp to others with the caveat to watch the security.