OK Coaches, time to plan your summer event schedule.  You are invited to a one week party on a lake in Michigan the first week of August, 2008.  And, oh yeah, feel free to bring 5 or 10 of your most deserving athletes!

The Details:

Dates:  (The schedule)

Athlete Drop Off:            Between 12:00PM – 4:00PM Sunday August 3^rd.

Athlete Pick-up:             Between 9:00AM – 11:00AM Saturday August 9^th.  Parent’s breakfast & athlete checkout begins at 9:00AM 

Accommodations:          Local host hotels. (Information to follow shortly)

Meals:                           Breakfast at hotel, lunch at Staff House (extra charge), dinner on your own.

Training Venues:            All athletes will train on Camp Property

Camp Location:             Camp Wakeshma on Corey Lake, Three Rivers, MI about 2.5 hours from O’Hare (Chicago). 2.5 hours from Detroit, MI Airport. 1 hour from Grand Rapids, MI Airport. 30 minutes from Kalamazoo, MI Airport.

Transportation:              Pick-up/return from Kalamazoo or South Bend. Shuttle service from airports can be arranged by USAG camp staff with advanced notice for a reasonable cost.  Some changes this year; see the separate information page regarding airport transportation.  Transportation from Chicago or Detroit or Grand Rapids is the Athlete/Coach/Parents responsibility.

Affiliation:                      This is a USAG sanctioned clinic.  As such, all participants (Athletes, Counselors, Coaches, and Clinicians) are required to have current USAG Membership.

The Cost:                 150.00 (base cost)  175.00 (includes lunches)

The personal coaches’ involvement is an area we made major changes last year that proved to be quite well received.  The coaches that attended last year felt there was excellent access to training and clinical information and yet they did not feel over scheduled or over regulated as in past camps.  The coach’s registration fees insure unlimited access to all training sessions and lake activities with their fellow coaches.  There is didactic teaching sessions and a reception mid week with fellow coaches, clinicians and USAG camp staff.  Coaches are encouraged to work with clinicians and learn “hands on” training techniques to take home.  The involvement of the coaches focuses on the training area and lake activities.  Host hotel accommodations are off site, but only 5 miles away.  Host hotel and cost will be posted soon.

The lake activities are scheduled daily.  Water skiing, tubing, wakeboarding or just floating on the lake with other coaches have been fun activities at the time and have provided valuable camaraderie among the attendees throughout the following competition year.

Making this all work for the personal coaches has been a moving target.  Recognizing the importance of the coach/athlete relationship, the camp staff has aggressively pursued the suggestions and recommendations given to us during and after previous year’s camps.  It is very important to those that plan this yearly event to insure that the camp is a welcome addition to a coach’s yearly schedule and an adjunct to their training “periodization.” 

PLEASE support this effort!!!  Encourage your boosters to send you and your athletes!!!

The Scholarship Program needs your help and participation.  This clinic and camp is a major funding effort for this important part of our athlete support program.  Previous camps proceeds have made nearly $50,000 towards athletes’ scholarships.  You and your athletes’ participation this year is critical to the future health of this “USAG T&T Tradition.”