Junior Development Camps
USAT development camps are organized around two ability levels: Skill Development Camps for novice to intermediate-level teens and Select Camps for more experienced, competitive junior elite athletes. Keep reading for a description of each type of camp. At the bottom you'll find a common camp application and a list of camps.
Skill Development Camps, or Skills Camps, are designed with the novice to intermediate-level 12-17 year old athlete in mind. These camps focus on the fundamentals of triathlon's three disciplines. In the pool, athletes will work on swim stroke fundamentals, as well as buoy turns, navigation, and open water entries and exits. On the bike, athletes will practice cornering, climbing, descending, and breaking skills. Athletes will be introduced to group riding skills and entry-level draft-legal racing skills. Run practices will focus on dynamic warm-ups, form drills, and transition runs. Significant attention is placed on mastering ITU-style flow through transitions with flying mounts and dismounts. In addition, athletes will learn about sports nutrition and how to structure their training. Coaches will discuss how to keep triathlon in balance with high school sports. Participants will enjoy working with USAT Certified Youth and Junior Coaches and learning alongside peers who share their interest in the sport of triathlon.
Select Camps serve USAT's more experienced, competitive junior elite athletes. Proficiency in draft-legal racing is the focus of these camps, although the core skills apply to drafting and non-drafting races alike. Athletes spend time honing race tactics, improving their transitions, and mastering bike handling. Extra emphasis is placed on nutrition and sports science, as well as developing training programs that balance the demands of high school athletics with triathlon training and competition. Athletes will work with USAT Certified Youth and Junior Coaches as well as single-sport specialists and guest elite triathletes. While not always required, most Select Camp athletes will be chosen from among prior Skill Development Camp attendees, High Performance Team members, or USAT Benchmark Testing data submitted via the USAT Athlete Profiler.
Camps are staffed by USAT certified coaches, particular those having completed the Youth and Junior Certification, and guest coaches with single sport expertise, such as college swim or run coaches. Most camps run five to seven days. Costs vary due to location and duration, but average $500-$600 per session.
For athletes under the age of 12, USAT recommends a day camp or full-day clinic format. Aside from the camps and clinics listed below, USAT sanctions a number of privately run clinics, some of which focus on youth and junior athletes. Information about these events is located on the USAT Event Calendar.
Coaches interested in earning a USAT camp designation can find more information here. Camps will not be designated as part of this program unless they meet all USAT sanctioning requirements and are deemed to serve USAT Athlete Development goals and objectives.
Download the 2011 COMMON CAMP APPLICATION pdf doc
2011 USAT Select Camps
Dates are subject to change. Contact the camp director for the most current information and registration materials.
June 27-July 3, 2011
USAT Junior Select Camp
University of Texas - San Antonio
http://www.icon1multisport.com/
Contact: Shelly Campbell at shelly@icon1multisport.com
July 18-22, 2011
USAT Junior Select Camp
Olympic Training Center - Chula Vista, California
http://www.usat-southwest.org/
Contact: Sharon Osgood at shozgood@gmail.com
July 17-21, 2011
USAT Junior Select Camp
Des Moines, Iowa
Contact: Jenny Weber at jenny@getzoomperformance.com
July 18-22, 2011
USAT Junior Select Camp
AAA TriCamp, Groveland, Florida
http://usatfloridaathletedevelopment.blogspot.com
Contact: Jennifer Hutchison at esportsrd@aol.com
2011 USAT Skill Development Camps
April 1-3, 2011
USAT Skill Development Camp - Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
http://sejrtriathlon.vpweb.com/SE-Camps---Expos.html
Contact: Kathleen Johnston at ks_johnston@hotmail.com
POSTPONED - CHECK BACK FOR NEW DATE/LOCATION
USAT Skill Development Camp - Idaho
www.triformance.com/usatskillscamp
Contact: Chris Baker at train4endurance@gmail.com
June 13-17, 2011
USAT Skill Development Camp - Florida
AAA TriCamp, Groveland, Florida
http://usatfloridaathletedevelopment.blogspot.com
Contact: Jennifer Hutchison at esportsrd@aol.com
June 27-July 1, 2010
USAT Skill Development Camp - California
CSU Monterey Bay, California
http://www.usat-southwest.org
Contact: Sharon Osgood at tballntricoach@aol.com
July 4-8, 2011
USAT Skill Development Camp - Texas
University of Texas - San Antonio
http://www.icon1multisport.com
Contact: Shelly Campbell at shelly@icon1multisport.com
July 5-8, 2011
USAT Skill Development Camp - Massachusetts
Wheaton College, Norton, Massachusetts
http://www.tri-and-fit.com
Contact: Matt Valyo at matt@tri-and-fit.com
