How the Week Runs: A Day at Camp
Parents ask us the same practical question every year: what does my son actually do all day? Fair question. Here is the daily schedule for the week at Nichols College, hour by hour, followed by the short list of things the site asks you to take care of before he arrives. The schedule is subject to change, but this is the shape of a normal day.
Morning
- 7:30 AM — Wake up
- 8:00–8:45 AM — Breakfast
- 9:00–9:10 AM — Attendance
- 9:10–9:20 AM — Announcements
- 9:30–9:50 AM — Stretching
- 10:00–10:45 AM — Stations
- 10:45–11:45 AM — Games
- 12:00–12:45 PM — Lunch
The day starts with attendance, and you will notice attendance shows up three times on the schedule. We keep track of every camper, every session. After announcements and a stretch, the real work begins with stations. This is the teaching and drilling part of the day: we teach, we drill, and we keep campers moving. Then the morning closes with games, where what was just drilled gets used.
One note for early risers. Coach Darnell Myers is known around the school for his "Coach D'Souza 6:30am extra sessions." They are not on the printed schedule, which is exactly why campers talk about them.
Afternoon
- 1:00–1:15 PM — Attendance
- 1:15–1:30 PM — Stretching
- 1:30–2:30 PM — Games
- 2:45–3:30 PM — Lecture
- 3:45–4:45 PM — Team Games
- 5:00–5:45 PM — Dinner
After lunch it is attendance, stretching and another games block. Then comes the lecture, and this is the part of the day that sets the Auerbach School apart from a lot of basketball camps. Our lectures may not always be about the game of basketball. We are concerned about your son's education, his academics, and the value of family. The coaches who run the drills are the same people giving these talks.
The afternoon finishes with team games. Campers are placed in two divisions by age, and team games are where the competing happens. We compete and we challenge, and every camper plays.
Evening
- 6:00–6:15 PM — Attendance and Announcements
- 6:30–6:45 PM — Free Shooting
- 7:00–8:00 PM — Team Games
- 8:15–9:30 PM — Competitions & Challenges
- 9:30–10:45 PM — Back to dorms, camp store opened and pizza delivery
- 11:00 PM — Lights out
Evenings start with a short free-shooting window, a rare few minutes where nobody is running a drill, and then a second round of team games. After that come competitions and challenges, which run until 9:30. That block is where "we have a ton of fun" on our mission statement comes from.
Then it is back to the dorms. The camp store opens and the pizza gets delivered. Lights are out at 11:00 PM, and it starts again at 7:30 the next morning. By the end of the week, most campers are sleeping very well.
Where he sleeps and eats
The school moved from cabins to dormitories, from a mess hall to a dining hall, and from outdoor hard-top courts to college gyms a long time ago. At Nichols College campers live in dorms and eat in the dining hall. The registration form asks for the names of anyone your son would prefer to have as a roommate, so if he is coming with a friend, list them.
What to take care of before camp
The site keeps this short, and so will we. Three things:
- Bedding and towels. Campers bring their own bedding and towels unless you choose the optional rental for $45 on the registration form. The rental set consists of twin sheets, a pillow with pillowcase, a blanket, two bath towels, one hand towel and one face cloth.
- Medical forms. The state of Massachusetts and the town of Dudley must have all medical forms, including immunization records, by the deadline shown on the registration page. This is required and is part of the school's licensing process. If you are using your own doctor's medical form, send it to the school; if not, the registration page has a medical form to download.
- Camp T-shirt. You choose your son's T-shirt size on the registration form. The sizes offered are Youth Large, Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult Large and X-Large.
The registration form also asks for his age as of September of the camp year, his height, a family phone number and contact name, an emergency number if different, and a parent or guardian email.
Dates and money
This summer's session dates, deadlines and fees are all on the registration page. The full schedule is on our Schedule page. Ready to sign up? Everything you need is on the registration page.