From Passion to Reality: Starting and Running a Successful Day Camp

In this episode of The Day Camp Pod, hosts Andy Pritikin and Sam Thompson delve into the world of starting and running a successful day camp. Featuring guests Corey Kalman, who started a franchise of sports camps in California, and Mario DelCueto, who launched a new day camp last summer, the episode covers everything from initial steps and marketing strategies to personalizing the camp experience and building strong community connections. The hosts also share useful tips for aspiring camp directors and emphasize the importance of following your passion and constantly improving your program.

Highlights:

• 04:23 Starting a Basketball Camp

• 08:47 Expanding to After-School Programs

• 12:15 Challenges and Strategies in Camp Management

• 19:36 Mario's First Summer as a Camp Director

• 25:23 Building Partnerships for Camp Success

• 27:20 Shoutout to Mentors and Their Impact

• 28:10 Creative Marketing Strategies

• 29:38 Overcoming Initial Challenges

• 31:39 Continuous Improvement and Staff Training

• 34:28 First Day of Camp: Excitement and Nerves

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Your Hosts:

• Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp

• Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District

• Korey Kalman, Founder & Owner - Got Game Sports

• Mario DelCueto, Camp Director - Mountain Camp Marin

Sponsors:

Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:

• Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS) 

  • Looking to elevate your camp experience? For over 25 years, Commercial Recreation Specialists has been transforming camps with water inflatables, Splashpads, playgrounds, and more! Boost your programming, drive registrations, and attract more campers. Our team of Recreation Specialists is here to help you design the ultimate space. Let’s take your camp to the next level – because we’re serious about FUN! Find out more at https://crs4rec.com/

• Camptivities

  • Scheduling shouldn’t be so difficult and take as much time as it does! Come check out Camptivities to learn about all of our scheduling tools, specifically designed for camps by camp people. Save time, get rid of the mistakes, and get back to enjoying your summer! Find out more at camptivities.com

• CampMinder

  • Campminder has the most robust offerings of features out there. But more importantly, every feature works together to create a full, seamless system that helps camps run more efficiently. Visit them today at campminder.com

Please review and subscribe!

If you’ve gotten even one good thing from the Day Camp Pod, we would be so grateful if you left us a review and subscribed to this show in your favourite Podcast app.

It’s so easy!

Just click here: https://ratethispodcast.com/dcp

Thanks, Camp Pro!