by Dylan Long ’23

Although Chaminade High School flourishes when filled with Flyers during the school year, 340 Jackson Avenue also opens its doors during the summer months to host various athletic, academic, and extracurricular sum- mer camps. Over the past few years, Chami- nade High School has expanded its catalog of summer camps to appeal to boys and girls with a variety of interests. 

Running these camps are members of Chami- nade’s academic and athletic faculty. As the president of Chami- nade, Bro. Thomas Cleary ‘81 explained, “We have a highly-qualified, dynamic, and passionate faculty and staff that are en- gaged with our summer camps.” 

In addition to being led by first-class faculty, Bro. Tom noted that all of the camps are held in “first-class facilities.” 

The entire program was recently restructured in a way that now makes it possible for students to participate in more than one camp per day. There is now a morning session and afternoon session, for example, with time for lunch in the school cafeteria.

In terms of the academic summer camps, the program’s motto is “sharpen your mind and share your ideas.” This idea is certainly exemplified by all of the camp attendees. The program gives students the opportunity to discuss ideals, debate issues, and further grow as young intel- lectuals. The camps are designed to foster interest and encour- age real-life application in a fun, thought-provoking atmosphere. 

Among the academic camps that are offered are Video and Editing Skills, Bloomberg Financial, Robotics, Science, History, Art, E-Sports, Outdoor Explorers, Speech & Debate, College Essay Writing, Medical Boot Camp, and Summer Reading. The variety of offerings allows attendees to dive into their passions as well as sample new subjects that pique their interest.

Freshman Owen Finnegan, an attendee of last year’s Summer Reading Camp, reflected, “I got to meet a lot of my current friends, became familiar with the campus before the first day of school, and even got my summer reading homework done.”

Among the most popular of the academic offerings is Video and Editing Camp. There, students foster their creative talents through both instruction and hands-on production. Throughout the week, students learn how to use various cameras and editing software, turning basic video into short, student-produced films.

Students also have top-of-the-line software and equipment at their disposal, which leads to a fun and instruc- tive camp where students can learn and apply useful, real-world skills.

Another one of Chaminade’s most popular camps is Bloomberg Financial. This camp, hosted in the newly-renovated and expansive Bloomberg Financial Literacy Lab, improves students’ competency in the business envi- ronment and exposes them to the fast-paced worlds of business and finance.

“The Bloomberg Camp was a great ex- perience for me,” ex- plained Sean Hatzfeld ’23, “especially since it was the summer before I came to Chaminade. I was able to meet new people and learn a lot about the stock market. The other campers and I were able to invest and try to make the most return on our investments as possible. Overall, it was a great experience that I recommend.”

In addition to the academic programs that are offered, the Chaminade athletic summer camps continue the Flyers tradition of excellence in sports. Chaminade’s all-boys sports camps make use of unparalleled facilities and renowned coaching staff in order to hone their athletes’ abilities.

Consistently ranked among the top teams in the na- tion for lacrosse, Chaminade’s summer Lacrosse Camp, run by both coaches and varsity team members, focuses primarily on improving shooting as well as offensive and defensive skills. Players learn the fundamentals of handling a lacrosse stick as well as basic game concepts.

The camp also offers specialized training for the goalie position, including attacking the ball, clearing skills, and positioning skills.

Ben Pinero ‘25, who attended Lacrosse Camp in ad- dition to the Summer Reading Camp last year, stated, “Lacrosse Camp gave me the opportunity to scrimmage with my friends and future Flyers, as well as meet the coaches before the school year began.”

Finally, the All-Sport Speed & Agility Camp is run by certified trainers who prepare students for their respective sports. Areas of concentration include speed devel- opment, injury prevention techniques, and plyometrics.

Overall, through the instruction of Chaminade’s coaches and players, the athletic camps are immensely beneficial for all athletes who attend. 

Both the academic and sports summer camps at Chaminade continue to help students for the future and train them for the present challenges they face. Knowledge flows from experience—and hands-on, collaborative learning at Chaminade’s academic and sports camps keeps young people ahead of the curve.