Sunday 17 July 2016

Stadium Sports Camp

Earlier this year I heard about a big sports camp in Sweden, that spans over four weeks and offers most of the sports you can imagine. It's a huge camp situated in Norrköping, and it has been happening every summer since the mid-90s. They offer football, ice hockey, figure skating, swimming, handball, multisport, golf, gymnastics, basket, wrestling, badminton etc, etc.
I had a quick chat with Nathan, and then discussed it with the kids. They were super keen, so we signed them up for the last week of this Stadium Sports Camp. Lucas was going to do rugby, and Linnea dancing.

It was a bit tricky to know what to pack and bring, so we had stalked the camp on their social media during the previous weeks to try and get an idea.


Sunday was check-in day. You were supposed to arrive between 11-13.00, and even though I had anticipated a lot of people, the Sports Camp area was huge and it was a party all over with music blasting, things going on and people everywhere.
1600 kids were signed up for this week, with 300 coaches looking after them.


The kids were very excited, and a little nervous:


Lucas get to sleep in a room with seven other boys, in a youth hostel type building on one end of the camp area. Linnea will be sleeping in a sports hall, inside make-shift bed rooms with about 12 girls in each:


They will each train their specific sport about twice a day, but also try out two other sports - this year it was cricket and 'Born to move'. They will get four meals a day, and there is unlimited water and fruit around the camp. When they have free time they can go to the Activity Town, where there is a climbing wall, scooters, Xbox and many other things to do.
Here's Linnea's schedule for the week.



After meeting their coaches, getting their sports t-shirts and some information, we went to help them to make their beds, and sort out where to put their luggage. Then it was time to say goodbye, and see you next Saturday!


Us parents then went into the big arena to see the Inauguration Show. So many people..:


So many kids!!!


The Swedish band Panetoz came and performed, and some dudes on mono-cycles:



And from now on, I will only be able to follow them on social media (and of course via phone calls, and texts). Lucky Linnea was quick to make her presence..:


Me? Well, I quickly jumped on a train to Stockholm, to have a child-free week with my best friend Erika, and do lots of child-unfriendly things..! Kids will have a great week, and so will I! Win-win!

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