What age does my child need to be?

When do the camps run?

What time can I drop my children off in the morning?

What time can I pick my children up in the afternoon?

What happens at drop off/collection?

How will my child be grouped?

Can my child be grouped with a friend? 

Will my child need to bring a packed lunch?

What type of clothes does my child need to bring?

What about sun cream? 

What should my child NOT bring?  

What if my child loses something?

How many staff will supervise the children? 

What experience do Mad About Sports Coaches have? 

Do you have qualified first aiders on camp? 

Will my child choose the activities?

What happens if there is bad weather?

My child has specific needs – can they come to camp?

English is not my child’s first language – is that okay? 

What if my child is ill and unable to come to camp? 

What is the Illness Protection Scheme? 

What will happen if my child falls ill on camp?

When does the Early Booking Rate end?

Can I pay a deposit? 

Can I change my booking?

Can I cancel my booking?

What is the Illness Protection Scheme?

I have applied for a job at Super Camps – when will I hear back?

What age does my child need to be?

• Children aged 8-14 can come to our Mad About Sports Coaching Weeks.

When do the camps run?

• Monday – Friday (excluding bank holidays) during school holidays.
• Specific dates for each venue can be found by using the “find the right camp” tool to the left.
• All Mad About Sports Coaching Weeks are 5 day courses (Monday – Friday).
• Coaching hours are 9.20am – 4.30pm, with a drop off/pick up period either side (see below)
• Outside of these hours we operate optional extended hours from 8am – 9am and from 5pm– 6pm. Extended hours are charged at £25 extra per week and are purchased as a bundle.
• During extended hours, children from Mad About Sports, Multi-Activity and all other camps running on site join together for Free Choice Activities: a selection of fully-supervised, non-timetabled games and activities.

What time can I drop my children off in the morning?

• Children can be dropped off any time between 8am and 9.15am if you have opted and paid for extended hours.
• If you have not opted for the extended hours, you can drop off 9am – 9.15am.
• Please drop your child off by 9.15am at the latest, so that they have time to settle in before activities start.

What time can I pick my children up in the afternoon?

• If you have opted and paid for extended hours your child/ren can be collected 4.30pm - 6pm.
• If you have not opted for extended hours, you can pick up 4.30pm – 5pm.
• If you have opted for extended hours, all children must be collected by 6pm please. Our staff work very hard for us and they are only contracted until 6pm, so we ask you to respect this. We reserve the right to charge an additional fee of £5 per additional 15 minutes. If you are running late, please call your Site Manager’s mobile number (provided each morning at sign-in) to keep the staff informed.

What happens at drop off/collection?

• We ask you to sign your child in when you drop off, and sign them out at the end of the day.
• We assume that whoever signs a child in at drop off will also collect them in the afternoon. If this is not the case, please tell the member of staff at the sign in desk and arrange a password for the person collecting to use.
• If your plans change during the day, please call your Site Manager’s mobile number (provided each morning at sign in) to let the staff know who will be collecting the child on your behalf.
• If you need to collect your child before 4.30pm, we ask you to pick them up at 3pm (during afternoon break) if possible to minimise disruption. Please make your Site Manager aware of your plans at sign in.

How will my child be grouped?

• Children are grouped by ability. Each child’s ability will be assessed on the first day and they will be grouped accordingly.
• Please click here for more details of how we group children.

 Can my child be grouped with a friend? 

• If your child would like to be grouped with a friend we are happy to try and accommodate this - please advise us at the time of booking. If you make your booking less than 14 days in advance we cannot guarantee friend requests as the groups will have already been arranged.
• However, lots of children go to camp without knowing anyone on their first day. Our coaches are used to this and will make sure they help children to settle in and meet other children as soon as they arrive.
• Children must be booked onto the same camp/course in order for us to accommodate friend requests.

Will my child need to bring a packed lunch?

• Children should bring a healthy, nutritionally-balanced packed lunch and drink suitable for an active day, plus snacks for break times and the Free Choice Activities sessions (if you have opted for extended hours). Please provide ice packs during hot weather, as we are unable to provide refrigeration facilities.
• Squash is provided for the morning and afternoon breaks, and water is available throughout the day.
• It is a good idea for children to bring their own plastic refillable water bottle, so they can take a drink with them to coaching sessions.
• The first half of the lunch hour is an activity free zone to encourage children to eat all their lunch. After this there is time for free play.

What type of clothes does my child need to bring?

• Children should come dressed appropriately for their chosen activity. For Tennis, Hockey, Football and Netball, sporty, comfortable clothes and trainers are best.
• For Football they will also need football boots/moulded boots. Shin pads are advisable.
• For Hockey a gum shield and shin pads are essential – children will not be able to participate without these items.
• Please also supply a sun hat and sun cream in sunny weather and warm clothes in cooler weather.
• Equipment (tennis racquets, hockey sticks, footballs and netballs) will be provided however children are welcome to bring their own if they prefer.
• For Swimming children will need a full swimming kit (costume/swimming shorts, towel, goggles and a swimming hat).

What about sun cream? 

• We ask you to ensure that children have had their first application of sun cream in the morning, and then send them with sun cream – we will then remind and assist them in reapplying it during the day unless you advise us otherwise.

What should my child NOT bring?  

• Money (we do not operate a tuck shop).
• Mobile phones (if it is essential for your child to have a mobile phone we require this to be handed in to their Coach).
• Any other valuables or precious possessions – we cannot be held responsible if items go missing, nor compensate for them, and we hate to see children disappointed.

What if my child loses something?

• We cannot guarantee the return of lost property, but we ask that all clothing and kit is clearly named to help us to return on request any lost items

How many staff will supervise the children? 

• We work to ratios of:
  • 1:10 for Mad About Tennis
  • 1:12 for Mad About Football
  • 1:12 for Mad About Hockey
  • 1:12 for Mad About Netball
  • For every 8 children on Mad About Swimming there will be a Swimming Coach and a qualified lifeguard.

What experience do Mad About Sports Coaches have? 

• We know that the key to running successful courses is to employ great staff!
• Each venue will have  Senior Coach running the course who will coordinate each day and take the lead when coaching.
• An assistant coaches will also have a key coaching role throughout the week.
• All coaches are recruited based on their relevant experience and qualifications.
• They will also be CRB-cleared, reference-checked  and they’ll receive in-house training specific to the course they are running.
• We also look for enthusiasm, energy and flair to ensure children get maximum enjoyment and development from the course.
• Additionally the Site Manager, who will take overall charge of all camps and course running on site, and who will be your main point of contact, is usually a qualified teacher or has significant camp experience. 

Do you have qualified first aiders on camp? 

• We employ suitably qualified first aiders at all of our camps.

What is the timetable?

• For Tennis, Football, Hockey and Netball, each day will consist of four one hour-long coaching sessions each followed by a 20 minute rest and relaxation interval (R&R).
• During R&R children will have the choice to continue to practice their chosen sport, fill in their Development Diary or do an alternative activity e.g. Dodgeball, Pedal Karts or Sports Kit Design.
• There will also be an hour for lunch and two 20 minute breaks: one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
• Please note that sometimes activity programmes have to change due to unsuitable weather or other circumstances beyond our control.

Will my child choose the activities?

• Our coaching programmes are designed to be structured and rewarding for each child, and are based on specific skills and drills.
• For this reason, the programme is set for the week, but all the activities will be carried out in a manner that is suitable for each child’s ability.

What happens if there is bad weather?

• We will endeavour to continue all courses regardless of the weather. Indoor facilities are available at all sites although this may affect how the course is delivered.

My child has specific needs – can they come to camp?

• It is our policy not to exclude any child due to specific needs, wherever possible. The needs of each child vary, so decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, depending on the level of support each individual child requires to enable them to fully participate in and enjoy activities at Mad About Sports.
• We request that parents of children with specific needs contact Head Office to discuss how Mad About Sports can best accommodate their child, and consider whether any special arrangements need to be made. 

English is not my child’s first language – is that okay? 

• We welcome children for whom English is not their first language.
• We do ask that your child is able to communicate in basic English to be able to attend Mad About Sports. This is in their best interests to ensure their enjoyment and safety. For example, your child will need to be able understand the coaches, let a member of staff know if something is wrong, understand emergency procedures, and be able to interact with other children on the course.
• We would be happy to discuss this with you by phone if you are unsure.

What if my child is ill and unable to come to camp? 

• If you opted to pay for the Illness Protection Scheme (IPS) at the time of booking, you will receive a full refund minus the IPS premium, on receipt of a doctor’s note.
• If you have not paid for the IPS we regret that there are no refunds available.

What is the Illness Protection Scheme? 

• For your peace of mind, our optional Illness Protection Scheme (an additional £1.50 per day) will protect your booking if your child is ill or injured.
• This would apply to ill health/injury either to the child or parent if it meant that the child was not able to attend.
• You will receive a full refund for all days missed, minus the IPS premium, on receipt of a doctor’s certificate.
• Cover excludes pre-existing medical conditions and claims relating to swine flu/influenza.
• Any claim made under the Holiday Protection Scheme must be made within 4 weeks of the first date of illness.

What will happen if my child falls ill on camp?

• If your child is ill on the morning of the coaching week, we regret that we are not able to allow them onto the course that day.
• If they fall ill during the course of the day, we will contact you and ask you to come and collect them, and we will make them as comfortable as possible in the meantime.
• In an emergency, medical advice or emergency treatment will also be sought unless you advise us that you do not want this to happen.

When does the Early Booking Rate end?

• For Easter and Summer 2011, the Early Booking Rate ends on Wednesday 2^nd March 2011.
• If you miss the Early Booking Rate you can still save money with our Price Freeze and High Five discounts.
• For more information about pricing and discounts, follow this link. 

Can I pay a deposit? 

• Full payment for Easter 2010 is 12th March and 18th June for Summer 2010. Bookings made after these dates need to be paid in full please due to the proximity of camp. If you have an outstanding balance, balance payments can be made by cheque (please write “Balance payment” and your booking reference number on the back of the cheque) or by credit/debit card over the phone – please note that there is a 2.5% transaction fee for credit cards. We do not issue reminders, so we ask you to remember the balance deadline if you have paid a deposit.

Can I change my booking?

• Under our Flexi-Change policy, you can change the dates of your booking up to 7 days in advance of the date/s you originally booked, free of charge, provided your new dates are within the same holiday season (eg. Summer).
• If there are no alternative dates for your chosen course, you can change to a different camp/course as long as the alternative is within the same holiday season as what you had originally booked.
• If you give us less than 7 days’ notice before the date/s you would like to change, we will endeavour to change them for you subject to availability, on payment of a £10 amendment fee. Again, new dates must be within the same holiday season as your original dates.
• The amendment fee applies each time you contact us to make a change and is necessary to cover admin and staffing costs.
• Please note: any changes made less than 14 days in advance will be subject to availability and any additional payment (e.g. if a full week changes to 5 individual days) would also be payable.

Can I cancel my booking?

• If you wish to cancel your booking and give us 14 (or more) days’ notice we can offer a refund, minus your deposit of £10 per child per day.
• If you give us less than 14 days’ notice for a cancellation we regret that no refund is available except in the case of illness if you have opted for our Illness Protection Scheme (an additional £1.50 per child per day).

What is the Illness Protection Scheme?

• For your peace of mind, our optional Illness Protection Scheme (an additional £1.50 per day) will protect your booking if your child is ill or injured.
• This would apply to ill health/injury either to the child or parent if it meant that the child was not able to attend.
• You will receive a full refund for all days missed, minus the IPS premium, on receipt of a doctor’s certificate.
• Cover excludes pre-existing medical conditions and claims relating to swine flu/influenza.
• Any claim made under the Illness Protection Scheme must be made within 4 weeks of the first date of illness.

I have applied for a job at Super Camps – when will I hear back?

• Super Camps regularly receives a high volume of applications and we will make our decision on your applications as quickly as we can. You will hear from us by email and possibly by phone initially. Please also visit the “Work for Us” section for updates on processing timelines.