Track camps provide a great opportunity for athletes to showcase their skills in a competitive environment while gaining maximum exposure to college coaches. Our camps list will help you find track camps near you can improve your distances, heights or times in a variety of track and field events. From sprinters to shot-putters, take a look at the best track and field camps for high school students.
IMG Academy’s boys track & field and cross country camps feature event-specific, customized training for athletes seeking to reach their full potential. With several program options to choose from, campers will learn event-specific techniques to improve their movement, balance, mindfulness, confidence, and agility, as well as the proper biomechanics and techniques related to a camper’s event(s) of choice. IMG’s expert coaches incorporate training sessions combined with developmental opportunities such as mental toughness, nutrition, and agility training that you won’t find anywhere else.
Potential track recruits often ask whether summer camps are important to the recruiting process. While not a requirement to succeed in the recruiting process, track and field summer camps offer a great opportunity for athletes to demonstrate their athleticism and character to college coaches, even if they attend a camp before they can communicate freely between each other. It’s a great way for potential recruits to check out a college campus, its athletic facilities and—recruiting rules permitting—introduce themselves or follow up with a college coach or athletic department staff.
Insider tip: While the NCAA doesn’t limit the amount of college camps potential recruits can attend, it’s important to find camps that are tailored to your athletic abilities. For example, if you’re a high school freshman still working on your PRs, you may want to hold off on attending a D1 premier camp and instead sign up for a clinic geared towards improving your overall strength and mobility training. Track and field athletes should not attend camps before they’re ready to compete against top athletes.
One of the most valuable benefits of finding summer track and field camps near you is gaining access to elite college coaching that can ultimately improve your performance in the upcoming high school or club season and overall recruiting potential for years to come. Face-to-face contact is crucial when evaluating recruits. As an added benefit, attending camps means that coaches will be able to see more than just your times and measurables and also focus on other key qualities, such as your coachability and character both on and off the track.
Before attending a track camp, it’s important to understand the different types of camps that are offered for high school athletes.
For jumpers (especially pole vaulters), hurdlers and throwers, learning technique at college track and field camps and clinics can be just as important as any other aspect of your natural athletic ability. College camps often include technical instruction by college coaching staff or current student-athletes at the college. This is a great opportunity to learn about college track and field coaches’ training styles and techniques. Alternatively, interacting with current members of the team at a track and field camp can give you invaluable insights into life on campus.
Middle-distance and long-distance runners might contemplate overnight camps because of the greater opportunities instructors have to teach you about building a base and including strength and mobility training in your workouts. Just like any other track and field athlete, make sure that you’re making the most of your camp experience: talking to college coaches and current college track student-athletes whenever possible, thinking about what life would be like on campus and asking questions about the school’s athletic and academic track and field recruiting standards.
Learn more about what to do before, during and after each camp
Track and field camps for high school students are held by hundreds of clubs and colleges across the country. It’s easy to find a track camp near you that offers elite coaching and takes your performance to the next level. Track camps also give potential recruits the opportunity to check out the school’s campus and athletic facilities, while gaining some familiarity with the coaching staff and program.
Despite the NCAA prohibiting recruiting conversations between student-athletes and D1 coaches until June 15 after sophomore year, college coaches can still use college camps to evaluate underclassmen for future rosters.
Likewise, for current freshman and sophomore athletes interested in jump starting their recruiting process, NCAA D3, NAIA and NJCAA college coaches also offer and attend camps throughout the year. College coaches at these division levels are allowed to have recruiting conversations and communicate freely with student-athletes regardless of grade level.
Sign up for your free NCSA Recruiting Profile today to start getting on college coaches’ radar!
Related Articles