The quaint idyll known as summer camp is a thing of the past. Gone are the s'mores and simple dips in the lake. In today's flagging economy, kid camps are a serious and increasingly competitive business.
According to a recent article in the New York Times, it's not enough for kids to just have fun and to boost self-esteem at camp. Parents expect bang for their buck -- be it to "hone lacrosse skills, improve algebra or pad the high-school résumé".
That means there is no time for camp owners to rest on their laurels. These days, the special forces are called in, from "former Brazilian pros coach soccer camp, Oscar winners officiate at film camp, computer game developers teach tech camp — all the better, the pitches go, to get Holly or Howie into Harvard, or at least to sharpen their skills".
With the high cost of basics like gas and food, traditional camps are being squeezed out the market. As industry analysts claim, running a camp has become a matter of survival of the fittest.
This year, according to the American Camp Association, more than 11 million American children will attend camp this year. Summer camp is an equally booming business this side of the border. Since 2007, however, both overnight and day camps have seen their enrolments dip, says Ann Sheets, an association spokeswoman. Many camps have closed up shop.
Perhaps not surprising in these litigious times, where health and safety regulations border on obsessive. Once upon a time the kids were dropped off on parents’ day and picked up in August. Now camp directors spend hours fielding phone calls and e-mails from helicopter parents. There is a long list of medications and food allergies to take into consideration.
Gone is the kind of camp that former Disney chief executive, Michael D. Eisner, fondly recalled in his memoir, “Camp”. “Nobody fails summer camp, a nice respite from winters of fortune and misfortune at school.”
At Pine Forest in the Poconos, campers are offered vegetarian, gluten-free, and kosher dining options. "Then there are special items for children who are allergic to onion powder or peaches, and for kids who won’t eat anything but potato bread or croissants or organic granola bars."
But in spite of it all, Mickey Black remains sentimental about the experience he is providing at Pine Forests. At dusk, he visits cabins named after trees (Birch, Linden, Aspen for boys), and flowers (Iris, Honeysuckle for girls).
“That sound you hear, of kids having fun, is a constant symphony,” Mr. Black said of the laughter and squeals coming from basketball courts. “I love that sound.” Fortunately for his business, it's a sound he never grows tired of hearing.
Image Credit: http://www.pineforestcamp.com/
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