How Campers Are Grouped at Future Stars Summer Camps

Your child's placement at Future Stars comes down to more than just their age! The grouping approach is designed to help your child thrive by considering their unique skills, confidence level, and social needs. 

Every camper deserves to feel challenged, comfortable, and excited to return day after day.

What Factors Go into Camper Group Placement?

The goal is simple: place your child where they'll flourish! While age matters, it's just one piece of the puzzle.

Here's what coaches and directors consider when creating the perfect group for your child:

Age

For young children, Tiny Stars serves our youngest campers at age 2, and Little Stars is designed for ages 3-5. 

Outside of this, most camp programs are designed for children from 6 to 16 years old, with groups within each camp often spanning a 2-3 year age range. 

For example, you might see: 

• A basketball team with 8, 9, and 10-year-olds 
• A drama group with 14, 15, and 16-year-olds 

This creates natural peer groups with appropriate overlaps, where children can socialize with others at similar developmental stages. 

Age is an important starting point, but it's just one factor among many that determine the best placement for your child.

Skill Level and Experience

Campers are grouped based on what they can do, not only their age. From day one, coaches interact with campers to understand their abilities and place them accordingly. 

For returning campers, coaches consider what they already know about the child, while getting to know new campers quickly through activities. The staff make adjustments as appropriate throughout the camp session.

Worried about your child getting lost in the crowd? 

Larger groups are broken into smaller units so everyone receives personalized attention. This means whether your child is a beginner learning basics or ready for challenging drills, they'll be met right where they're at. No camper feels "too old" or "left behind" thanks to these thoughtful and dynamic groups.

For Advanced Players: "Playing Up" While Staying Connected

If your child is advanced in their sport, they'll be appropriately challenged by "playing up" with older campers for skill development, while still having time with peers their own age for socialization. The fluid grouping structure allows directors to move kids between groups as needed. 

Sometimes, if a child is comfortable in one group but could benefit from more challenge, coaches might invite them to try a more advanced group for just one session before returning to their original group, ensuring a smooth transition that supports both their age and skills.

For Developing Skills: Personalized Instruction Within Groups

If your child is learning a new skill or sport that doesn't come naturally, the experienced staff knows how to make them comfortable. 

Many sports involve individual skills that can be taught at different levels within the same group. For example, a coach pitching to a baseball team might make it more challenging for advanced players and adjust for those still developing their skills. 

Similarly, while everyone might practice tennis forehands, one child might work on basic fundamentals while another focuses on more advanced techniques like closing the racket face or proper body positioning.

Comfort, Confidence, and Social Development

Is your child shy or anxious about camp? No need to worry!

Every Monday morning, all campers participate in fun get-to-know-you games so everyone feels comfortable and connected. 

Breaking into small groups for their sports or activities helps children feel more comfortable with just three, four, or five kids and a coach rather than feeling like "all eyes are on them." 

Camp staff are trained to spot children who might need extra encouragement and will often enlist the help of more outgoing campers to take shy children "under their wing" or introduce themselves. 

Maximizing Opportunities to Make Friends

Making camp friends is a crucial part of child development and growing up. Activities often serve as a "hidden opportunity" for children to connect without feeling the pressure of direct social interaction. 

All-Camp Activities and Special Events

Throughout the day, all-camp activities add fun and excitement to the day. These activities provide a social component and offer breaks from skill sessions and competitions.

Sometimes, older and younger campers are purposely mixed together, creating mentoring opportunities where older kids can guide younger ones - a beneficial experience for both age groups.

Requesting Kids to be Placed with Friends

Want your child to be with a friend? Just let the staff know during registration or on the first day, and we can usually meet this accommodation.

If friends have similar ages and skill levels, keeping them together is easy. 

When friends have different experience levels, they might follow the same daily schedule but work in different skill-appropriate groups during certain periods. 

For example, during activities, one child might go to one area while their friend goes to another, then they'll reunite during water breaks and transition periods - making the experience seamless for both children.

Friendship requests across different age groups are handled case by case, with careful consideration for both safety and how comfortable both the older and younger children will be together.

A Dynamic Approach to Find Your Child’s Best Fit

The best part about the grouping process? It's flexible and responsive! If your child needs more challenges, they might try a more advanced group for just one session, then return to their original group. If they're struggling, coaches can quickly find a better fit.

A tried and true "try and see approach" lets kids stretch their abilities without ever feeling pressured. 

Our coaches keep tabs on all of our campers to make sure they're happy with their placement. 
Your child deserves to bounce out of bed each morning excited for another day at Future Stars!

Give your child the gift of growth, friendship, and fun in a supportive environment designed to help them thrive. Their perfect group is waiting for them this summer!