The fall sports season is rapidly approaching, and California University of Pennsylvania is giving high school teams a head start on training for the year.
The university ran its annual volleyball and soccer camps last week, a tradition that has been taking place for more than 20 years, according to Cal U men's soccer coach Emedin Sabic. The camps provide high school teams from around the greater Pittsburgh area as well as those from out of state with instruction and facilities in which to train during the summer months.
Cal U men's volleyball coach Peter Letourneau said the camps serve as avenues for athletes to get back into mid-season form.
“The camps prepare kids to jump right into their high school seasons,” Letourneau said. “If they haven't been playing a lot then it allows them to get their legs underneath them.”
In addition to the team camps, the school offers individual player camps, each of which lasts about a week. Preparations for the camps are an all-year process and start directly after the conclusion of the last camp, Sabic said.
The camps are funded through fees paid by the teams and individuals attending, with money gained directly benefiting the university's sports programs. Specifically, the income derived from each camp is used to finance that program's athletic scholarships, according to Cal U athletic director Karen Hjerpe.
The camps also serve as a recruiting tool for Cal U. Although it isn't the main reason for holding the camp, Letourneau acknowledged the recruiting opportunities the camps create.
“Yeah, that happens for sure,” he said. “The camp is a really good environment for us to get to know players and for them to get a really good sense of what we're doing here.”
Letourneau said he has seen this even on his current roster, as he landed an incoming freshman from last year's camp. Other programs have seen the recruitment power of the camps not necessarily for their program, but for the school itself.
“There are a big number of kids that don't end up playing college soccer who just come to school here based on their experience at the camp,” Sabic said. “From spending a week on campus, we hear nothing but positive feedback.”
The camps have had a few high-profile athletes come through the campus including Wil Trapp, who currently plays in Major League Soccer for the Columbus Crew and has appeared for the U.S. Men's National Team.
Cal U hosted both cross country and women's basketball camps this month.
In addition to sports camps, the college also holds theater and band camps on campus during the summer months.
Matt Faye is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-836-6220 or mfaye@tribweb.com.
