Summer Camps are an individual thing. They can be a huge money maker but they do require lots of planning.

Schools can offer a variety of camps:

1. Full Day Martial Arts Camps - these are the easiest to manage but they are limited to your students.

2. Fun camps with a martial arts classes - These often take transportation and are more expensive to run because of the added activities. They are open to everyone in your community.

3. Combination Camps - This would be a morning Martial Arts camp and an afternoon fun camp. Your campers can choose the entire day or just attend the morning or afternoon schedule.

4. Don't do your own camp but offer your services to other camps in your area. You can make some great money and it give you the opportunity to get new students.

I feel that the Full Day Martial Arts Camp is a great idea, I also like a combination fun camp because it gets everyone out of the school a few days a week. I have included some trips from Roland on a martial arts based camp followed by an interview with Joe Alexander concerning a combination camp

ROLAND OSBORNE -----

Camp Ideas - Our basic camp outline is that the students change subjects every hour or 2 hours. We break it up into a 5 section camp or 3 section camp. The reason we start with games and something fun is we want the students super excited about getting to camp. They should be saying. "Yes, I can't wait to get there! Mom hurry up I don't want to miss the first part of camp." Remember kids are just waking up and putting something technical can make it less exciting. Also kids show up at various times and if they are missing sections of a class you will have to catch them up.

The Schedule
A 5 section camp looks like this-

5 Section Camp

• Drop Off
• 8 - 9am - Warm Up, Obstacle Courses, Kicks, Fun Games, Instructor Says
• 9 - 10am - Jump Kick Gymnastics
• 11 - 12am - Weapons Training
• 12 - 1pm - Lunch/Movie (Kid bring their own lunch or you will fall under health department guidelines)
• 1 - 2pm - Style (capoeira, ju jitsu, aikido, judo, kung fu, jeet kuen do etc.) or Self Defense
• 2 - 3pm - Ultimate Kombat Sparring
• 3pm - Pick Up

Most classes are 45 minutes with a 15 minute break.

3 Section Camp

A 3 section camp has more of a specialized theme- For instance this year for summer we are hosting a 3 part camp- Ultimate Kombat Fighter, Self Defense Masters or Jump Kick Gymnastics Master, and Extreme Competition Competitor.

The camp will look like this -

• 8 - 9am - Warm-Up, Obstacle Courses, Kicks, Fun Games, Instructor Says
• 9 - 10:30am - Extreme Competition Training Weapons and Forms
• 10:30 - 12pm - Ultimate Kombat Sparring
• 12 - 1:30 - Lunch Movie
• 1:30 - 3pm - Jump Kick Gymnastics or Self Defense Master
• Pick Up

During week 1, the camp attendee's will graduate from level 1. The second week, level 2 and so on. You can break down the material into as many weeks as you would like. The best thing about these three or four programs is that they come with certificates and class plans easy to print out.

There are many different themes or topics you can plug in that I didn't mention here. This is an easy to use formula. Pick a 5 subject or 3 subject camp schedule and plug in your own topics. Here are some additional fun ideas.

Instructor Training
Leadership Training
Personal Development Time (I can worksheets)
Arts and Crafts
Make up your own form/weapon
Make up your own martial arts movie fight scene
Make up your own self defense techniques
Free Time
X-box/Playstation Wars
Parks, Swimming, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hop Scotch, Freeze Tag, Movies, Bowling, Skating, Batting Cages, Miniature Golf
Theme Parks
Fitness Challenge
Olympic Training
Board Breaking- Test Your Power!
Challenge Time- (Pick 10 techniques and award the student that is the highest, most powerful or fastest)

JOE ALEXANDER and Kelly Fiori

With summer closely approaching and a lot of clients calling and asking about summer camps. I decided to call a few of our clients, who host summer camps, and get their views on the questions I have been getting. We have had more schools asking about summer karate camp programs than I have ever had in the past. Most of the calls I am getting about camps are from schools that want something to help them keep revenue coming into their school due to the Media scares about the economy.

I am sorry I just don't see the big recession that is in the news everyday and the media having specials on how to cut back here or cut back there. I go to the malls and they are still packed. Going out to dinner on Friday or Saturday there is still just as big a wait to be seated as there ever was. I talk to clients that are still signing up 15-20 even 30 students a month. They aren't doing anything different, what I mean by this is, they haven't cut back on their marketing dollar. They are still aggressively and actively marketing their schools just like they always have. We have to remember what we think and wish for we more than likely receive. So don't let what other people say take away from what you know you should do. Keep your marketing on track like United Professionals suggesst. Keep placing ad cards twice a week, do your marketing cards weekly, visit schools hosting seminars (if you are having a hard time getting in give us and call and lets brain storm) do your door hangers, talk to businesess about booths, get with your PTA/PTO's about upcoming carnivals, do your val- paks, run those adds, get out and VIP, in other words, get busy.

Sorry I jumped on the soap box for a minute. Back to the topic at hand- summer camps. Let's talk to Joe Alexander of Alexander's Martial arts. The Alexander's have been clients of UP for as long as I can remember and contributor to many of articles, and countless seminars on Martial Arts school operations. They have three schools that are very successful, and talking to Mr. Alexander things are thriving. (Where is the media scare?) Let's get on with the interview;

UP: Hello Mr. Alexander, Thanks for taking the time to talk with us and answer a few questions

Mr. Alexander: My pleasure, and thing I can do to help out UP and our clients

UP: Well, I have a few questions about Summer Camps, and with Alexander's Martial Arts having such great success with camps I thought I would give you a call. We have a lot of schools asking about camps and how to make them work. One of the first questions I get is how do you get started with a summer camp?

Mr. Alexander: It's easy for us as we have an after school program, and with an after school program you have to provide a summer camp in order to keep your current students enrolled at your school.

UP: Ok, so if you have the ASK program already, it is basically a done deal on the Summer Karate Camp. But what about those school that are making this their first summer having a Karate Camp. How should they host their first camp?

Mr. Alexander: when we had our very first Summer Program we went into it with the thought of using it to market towards our Karate school. We found out what all the other summer camps in our area were charging and we undercut them 10-20% just to get students enrolled. We then would send notices home about the camps each week, it's benefits and how enrolling now can save money.

UP: Ok that sounds like good solid advice. Where else can you get 20-40 new kids into your school, have the parents see the results and be able to literally have a 10 week intro course that they are paying you $80-$150 a week for. What are a few Pros and Cons of a summer camp?

Mr. Alexander: Pro would be having a camp with 30 kids in it paying you $130 a week, that is $3900 a week. Not too bad. If you only enrolled a third of those, into your regular program, that would be an additional $79,950 in contract amount.

Cons to a Summer Karate Camp would be watching out for the State Laws that govern your area. Also staffing your camps. The staff you use for your camps must add value to your program. They must run the camp using the same values and protocol you use in your school. You have got to have staff that is trained and trustworthy to be there everyday.

UP: Those numbers sound pretty good for a week. But I am sure the big question what to do to get around the state regulators? Any input into that area?

Mr. Alexander: We do ours through our church. They sponsor our summer camp and in turn get a percentage of the revenue. The State can't regulate the church. We keep the records for them on who is here and what they pay. And we give them their percentage.

UP: I have also heard that if you host only summer karate camps, such as week one you conduct a week long boot camp on the bo staff, or host a week long camp for extreme kicking, and so on. That these types of camps, since they are only a week long are not in the category of the "daycare facility" But I would suggest anyone looking to host a summer camp check, overtly, on the laws of their state/area.

So we know that a new school looking to start a camp should check their area for the price range and set their price accordingly. But what about other cost structures, meaning should you have one day spaces available, weekly, or even ½ days?

Mr. Alexander: With our summer program and since we already have an after school program it is filled up to our limit quickly. We do have some students that don't do a few weeks in the summer for vacations. And we do allow people to sign up for just certain weeks. Everyone pays the $45 registration fee for the first week and then just their weekly rate after that.

UP: other clients I have talked to allow students to have just half days and they discount it for them. Where other clients still charge the same rate due to the fact that they took half the day they won't be able to fill it with another half day client. What is your $45 registration fee for?

Mr. Alexander: it is for their paper work and their uniform. Our summer camp students wear a T-shirt and black Karate pants for their classes. We chose black because they will be wearing this uniform three times a day for their classes. Black hides the dirt better.

UP: Ok we have the cost down, making sure we have the right staff, and watching out for state regulations. What about your classes, do you use theme based classes?

Mr. Alexander: Yes, each week we have certain things we teach, beside our regular curriculum. For example one week may be Escrima training. We teach Escrima for that week. Another week will be a different weapon, and so on. But we also host special summer camps for students - these camps may only be half days and cover weekly topics such as; XMA, Tournament training, Competition sparring, Ground fighting, etc. These classes are usually just existing students. And it is a nice added revenue generator. But yes, all summer camps should have theme based weeks.

UP: speaking of theme based weeks and planning your weeks do you have field trips for you camps? Are they once a week or daily?

Mr. Alexander: Monday is the only day we do not go on an outing. Monday we give our weekly calendar out so the parents know how to dress the students and have what they need prepared.

UP: Give us an example of your field trips and the cost of these trips?

Mr. Alexander: we don't charge extra for these trips. We just know what they will cost us and we add those right into the weekly cost. Or trips are twice a week we take the kids swimming (this is a must, the kids look forward to swimming) we set the swimming up with a place that has qualified life guards and plenty of supervision. We take them bowling and another type of outing once a week and the fourth trip is to the park.

UP: it is great that you make sure whereever you take the kids swimming that there is plenty of supervision and qualified life guards. I have heard of clients taking the kids to the park and having Karate in the park lessons. They actually do class there and have a booth set up for passer bys and other people at the park that may be interested in classes. How do you get your students around for all these field trips?

Mr. Alexander: we have our own Passenger Vans.

UP: what would you suggest for those clients that don't own passenger Vans?

Mr. Alexander: what we have done in the past is contact School bus drivers that are off for the summer. Most cities hire out for their transportation. So that means that a lot of those buses and drivers are off for the summer. Worse comes to worse, you can always rent a van from a church or rental place.

UP: Awesome idea on the bus drivers out for the summer. And if you do get a church to sponsor you for your camp, I am sure they would be more than happy to lease or even let you borrow their van. I know you are a busy man but if you had to give you top "Must Do" list what would it be?

Mr. Alexander:

1. Set up your pool. With all the other summer camps and things going on the pool time slots fill up fast.

2. Get your transportation set up. You DO NOT want to use your personal vehicle to transport students.

3. Get all your trips planned. The cost, where, when. For the entire summer.

4. Staff!!!! Make sure you have your staff in place. Here we can't let teens work more than 8 hours a day. So from the early drop off time we have one maybe two people there, we have at least a 1 to 8-10 ratio for the number of kids, then we go back down to one or two for the late pick up times. We hire all the summer helper on as temporary help; this will keep us from having to give them benefit packets. But check your area on the requirements.

5. Have your storage planned out. I know it sounds like a small thing but with 30-40 kids being there and they all have lunches, sleeping bags (for quiet time) books and bags. You have to have a place for everything.

6. You also need to make sure you have a plan in place for what to do with the camp kids that are still there when you start your regular classes. If you only have one room where do the kids go when you start your classes at 4:00.

7. Give a list of rules and guidelines. We only allow them to bring Game boys, PSP's and toys on certain days of the week.

8. Get your paperwork together.

• Registration Forms
• Who is allowed to pick the kids up? You don't want to let a parent, during a custody battle, pick the child up and get stuck in the middle.
• Any medical concern there may be.
• If they need to take medication, when do you give it? Keeping a log of when you gave it and how much. Keeping it locked up and out of the reach of other children.
• Emergency contacts
• Escape routes in case of fire or other emergency.
• And all waivers for each trip you are taking.
• And anything else you can think of.

UP: thank you Mr. Alexander for all your time. This has been a great help.

Mr. Alexander: Your welcome, I wish everyone good luck. And if you follow the UP procedure you shouldn't have any problems. Take care and let me know if I can help.

Well you heard from clients who have great success at it. And remember if you have any questions remember you can always call us anytime. 877-787-4542 ext 713 Kelly Fiori