The Real Camp Difference is a series which focuses on the factors that parents, coaches and Quarterbacks should be looking for when choosing which Camp to attend. Camp organizations offer a lot to potential Campers, but the real question is: what will your Quarterback walk away from that Camp having learned that will truly help him improve as an athlete and a Quarterback?
This is the second blog of this series, and will focus on franchise Camps – the ones with different directors and coaches at every location. It brings to mind the question: How do you know what you are getting if the same people aren’t providing it?
The franchise Camp is not an uncommon phenomenon – and if Camps were fast food restaurants it would work as a plan. Let me start by explaining how this happens. A Camp organization needs to increase revenue. The best way to do so is to hold more Camps. Holding more Camps generally means adding Camp locations. This is where things can become difficult. Multiple Camps in multiple locations can be a difficult thing to manage with one person running the show. It limits Camps to being in one location at a time because obviously no person can be in two places at once. The solution – send someone else to run that Camp.
Although for many Camp organizations, this is not seen as a negative, it does present a conundrum that I believe should be recognized. How do Campers know that they are getting the same level of training with the person that was trained to run the other Camp? It’s like a photocopy, it may look great, but it will never look as good at the original. You sign up for a Camp because of the experience that it represents in the brochure or on the website. BUT if there are always different people running the Camps, how can you be sure that your experience will be what they promised? There is something to be said for consistency, which can only be accomplished if there is some factor that is consistent at every Camp. Without that, you run the risk of getting a different (and possibly worse) experience than the same named Camp at another location.
Some Camp organizations participate in a “Certification” process, meaning they train and certify Coaches to work at their varying Camp locations. This certification is supposed to assure you that the Coach you get is indeed qualified and able to provide the Camp experience you were promised. I cannot say this more clearly: you can train and certify anyone you want, that does not mean they are going to do things the way you do them. Additionally, what happens when this “certified” Coach encounters a Quarterback with a learning curve or problem that is not covered in their training? The response will be different per Coach, and it may not be what is best for that athlete.
In the end a franchised Camp will always run the risk of falling short of expectations because no matter how much training or certifications a Coach gets, they can never be the person who had the vision that designed the Camp. Unfortunately, that leaves a margin of error that you may not want to risk. Before you sign your Quarterback up for Camp this summer, it might be worth asking: Who is going to Coach my Quarterback at this Camp? If one of the people listed is not the person whose name is behind the Camp, you should wonder how they can assure you that your Quarterback’s Camp experience with them is going to be what it claims it will be.
Every Complete QB Quarterback Development Camp is run by Camp Founder and Director, Chris Johnston. His presence allows us to assure each Camper, Parent and Coach that you will get the same 2-day Camp experience, despite any difference in location. His experience and ability as a Coach can help any Quarterback – who is willing to do the work – to get better. If your Quarterback wants to spend two days working on every aspect of the position, learning about himself as a Quarterback and an athlete, as well as the ways he can improve for the upcoming season, join us. Click here to register online today.