Adult Fantasy Sports Camps
By Kelly Gray

It’s the bottom of the seventh inning. Bases are loaded. You’re at bat. You swing… the ball soars over the head of the opposing players, past the mascot and into the hands of a grateful fan at the top of the stadium. Victory! You’re everyone’s hero.

And then you wake up. Time to hit the showers and set off on another day at the office, make those sales calls or get the kids off to school.

Lots of people dreamed of lives that might include screaming fans, home runs and trophies. But not everyone who loves sports was born with a baseball player’s swing or pitch, Steve Smith’s fancy footwork or Jeff Gordon’s driving abilities. And it is doubtful most of us will ever see our names on a first draft pick for the Charlotte Bobcats.

Still, sports fans love the game, and go to great lengths to support their favorite teams and fulfill their own dreams of excelling in their favorite pastimes. There are hundreds of sports and fantasy camp programs that exist solely to afford these dreamers their very own moment in the sun.

Major league baseball, NBA basketball, soccer and a whole host of other sports camps provide ample chance to experience the sports fantasy that dreams are made of. One web site, aptly named GrownUpCamps.com is completely devoted to marrying people with their choices of fantasy sports and other camps. In this month’s cover story we’ll cover the bases on our picks for adult fantasy sports camps that made the cut.

Carolina Tailwinds
Just around the bend in Winston Salem you’ll find Carolina Tailwinds offering cycling tours around the state from Manteo to Murphy. Owners Ann and Greg Flemming say that, at first, people can be intimidated by a cycling camp experience, but they do get over it in 20 minutes. Carolina Tailwinds adopts the philosophy that cyclists already know -- cycling is great because all levels of fitness can participate.

Major league baseball, NBA basketball, soccer and a whole host of other sports camps provide ample chance to experience the sports fantasy that dreams are made of. One web site, aptly named GrownUpCamps.com is completely devoted to marrying people with their choices of fantasy sports and other camps. In this month’s cover story we’ll cover the bases on our picks for adult fantasy sports camps that made the cut.

Baseball
We begin with an all-American favorite – baseball. Heroes in Pinstripes (HeroesInPinstripes.com) offers campers the chance to “learn and play with Yankee greats”, suit up in their own pinstripe uniforms and “live like a major leaguer” for a week. The fantasy camp experience even comes with your very own baseball cards. The coaches at this camp vary from year to year, but the remarkable lineup of coaches who have participated over the past few years can boast 45 World Championship rings, 54 All-Star games, four World Series MVPs, 10 Gold Glove Awards, two Cy Young Award winners and two Rookie of the Year Award winners.

Basketball
Basketball fans can catch tips from hall-of-famer Rick Barry at his fantasy camp via University of Sports (UOFS.com). On September 21, 22 and 23, 2007 basketball fans will meet Rick Barry who will be joined by Al Attles and Nate Thurmond for a truly unique NBA experience. Adults Age 31 and older will arrive from various states to eat, sleep and play basketball.

Soccer
Joe Machnik’s No. 1 Soccer Camps (No1SoccerCamps.com) are renowned as offering young players resources to realize their potential through a soccer camp which includes an intense training environment. Machnik’s camp is entering its 31st season. Campers are grouped by age, size and ability and are continuously re-evaluated, and the camp has been featured in articles from Sports Illustrated for Kids to Sports Illustrated for Women.
Machnik’s name is recognized as America's foremost goalkeeping coach and he has been named to the Connecticut and New England Soccer Hall of Fame, NISOA National Soccer Hall of Fame (Oneonta) and a FIFA Match Commissioner for World Cup Qualifying and other international games.

For women
Women seeking an adventure cocktail of self-discovery and fitness would be hard pressed to find a better destination than Women's Quest in beautiful Colorado. The program was created “by women, for women” to build confidence and empower women of all athletic abilities. It was developed and refined over more than a decade by world champion triathlete, Colleen Cannon. Combining the body with the mind, Women’s Quest offers “spirit-filled adventures to refresh your spirit, energize your body, and rekindle your kid". Attendees claim the experiences at Women’s Quest are life-changing. Some include mountain biking, trail running, yoga and ropes courses. Or, for more experienced athletes, the professional staff (which reads like a who’s who of athleticism) can help those seeking a competitive edge in running, cycling, triathlon and adventure racing. The adventures offered by this camp enrich and rejuvenate the mind and strengthen the body by design. The adventures are ideal for women of any age, background, or athletic ability.

Racing
If wheels and speed are running through your mind as you dream, then right in Charlotte’s own backyard lie some of the most popular racing schools in the country. Guests can experience what race car drivers do with minimal instruction. Simply suit up, buckle in and drive authentic Nextel Cup cars at the Mario Andretti and Jeff Gordon Racing Schools (AndrettiGordon.com).

Humanitarian and Special Interest
In addition to sports camps, there are several humanitarian and special interest programs available for people who may not be up to the task of a strenuous sports camp. They include humanitarian adventures to faraway lands and volunteer vacations, performance and multimedia programs such as dance, film, jazz, music, photography, theater, visual arts and writing. Academic programs have also become popular, offering environmental/nature, language, lifelong learning and religious studies, some accompanying trips abroad.

Travel and Lifestyle
Travel and lifestyle camps also provide venues to explore archaeology, bridge, culinary pursuits, sewing, spa visits and yoga. Archaeological camps give campers the chance to learn to dig, sift, sort and clean artifacts. One such camp in Cortez, Colorado (CrowCanyon.org) allows participants to join experts in excavating a Pueblo village that dates back to 1000 AD. A nature camp presented by the Maine Audubon Society is accessible only by boat to a 330-acre island with sessions led by respected naturalists and environmental educators. Grab a spot at this nature camp and you’ll get to enjoy one of Maine’s most coveted culinary treasures on your last night: a fresh lobster feast.

Camps also exist for man and man’s best friend to enjoy together. Chicago area residents don’t have to go far to partake of the treats Camp Dogwood offers two- and four-legged campers, including agility and obedience training, and play dates at the lake.

Wilderness
Many adults are looking for adventure fitness with a twist. Outdoors enthusiasts flock to places like Northwaters Wilderness Program (Northwaters.com) in Ontario, Canada. This mega-outdoors camp schedule includes sea kayaking on Lake Superior with the aid of guides who help pitch tents and prepare gourmet meals. Wilderness trips run by Colorado River & Trail Expeditions (CRATEInc.com) are widely popular with CEOs and executives who crave challenges but who don’t have the time to plan and execute adventure excursions.

So whether you looked on dreamily as your sports heroes threw the pitch that won the game, you salivate every time you hear the words “play ball!” or you just long for a little adventure, plan your next outing around an adult fantasy sports or special interest camp.

Remember, it’s not whether you win or loose but that you get out there and play the game.