Summer Sports Camps at St. Lawrence

Thinking back, my first exposure to life at St. Lawrence was through one of SLU’s summer sports camps. Last week more than 100 students, elementary through high school, moved into the residence halls to spend an entire week honing their skills in a variety of sports.

The typical day consists of drills, skills workshops, and conditioning in the morning while the afternoon focuses on scrimmages. The players will have some down time throughout the day to relax and enjoy the campus scenery.

Last week I ran into two students from my high school, Major and Jeff, at the dining hall who were here with the lacrosse camp. I asked them what their general impressions were of the camp and if they were enjoying the experience. From what I gathered they both were living on campus which they said was a fun experience. The training was very demanding but that’s to be expected when you’re trying to improve as an athlete. Above all though, they were really impressed with the food here. I can’t blame them. Food was definitely one of my top priorities when searching for colleges.

Besides lacrosse, students also came last week to participate in basketball and swim camps. For the full list of camps, check out the link here. Those attending the soccer camp this year are in for a special treat. Kristine Lilly, former US women’s national team player will be on campus from July 20 – 23. Lilly is a two-time World Cup champion and the most internationally capped soccer player of all time.

I attended soccer camp at St. Lawrence twice. When I attended right before I began 7th grade, the student center was still being built and every day we walked by the massive construction site on our way to Dana. It’s funny how my perception has changed nine years later now that I am a student who uses that space daily. Realistically, these sports camps may be the first contact we have with a number of prospective students which is why my fellow interns Matt De Luca and Sam Rakoc will be camped out in the dining hall every Tuesday to answer questions about St. Lawrence and what it’s like to be a student here. Our hope is that the positive athletic experience these students come away will leave them with fond memories of St. Lawrence.