| Frequently Asked Questions |
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WHAT IS SPORTSLIFE CAMPS?
SportsLife Camps was launched in 2005 out of a desire to help the church develop children's faith in Jesus through innovative sports and arts programs. During its inaugural summer of 2006, SportsLife Camps hired one team of five coaches that served 17 churches and approximately 600 kids throughout the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. As we head into our sixth summer, we expect two teams to serve nearly 80 churches and over 2,500 campers.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL WEEK LOOK LIKE?
The week begins on Sunday when your team attends a church service with your hosts and then completes camp preparations with participating churches. There are three camp models that are offered to churches: Half-Day AM (Monday - Friday, 9am-12pm), Half-Day PM (Monday - Thursday, 5:30pm-8:30pm) and Full-Day (Monday - Friday, 8am-5pm). Staff will facilitate a Half-Day AM and Half-Day PM or a Full-Day camp each week. Your team spends about an hour before camp to set up and another hour afterward to tear down. The time in between camps (for the Half-Day models) is used for rest, traveling to the next camp site, administrative tasks and team meetings. The team travels together in a SportsLife vehicle pulling a trailer containing all the equipment and supplies needed for camp.
ARE THERE EXCEPTIONS TO THE TYPICAL WEEK?
Some teams will partner with churches to deliver a full-day camp, which will run from 8:00 - 5:00pm. In those cases, teams will only put on one camp in a week.
WHERE WILL I SERVE?
Teams travel within the Upper Midwest states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. Churches hosting camp are located in a variety of community settings including rural, small town, small city, and urban. As your team travels, you live in the community with a host church that is involved with your camp.
HOW MUCH WILL I TRAVEL?
As a mobile camp provider, our teams can serve churches in nearly any community in the Upper Midwest! Throughout the summer, your team will travel to different communities within the region specifically assigned to you. Accommodations for your team will be provided by one of the churches you're partnering with to put on camp.
CAN I CHOOSE MY TEAM OR REGION?
Several factors go into team and region placement, and the process takes much time and prayer. SportsLife seeks to determine the best team configurations and region placements. After all staff members are hired, they are assigned to a team. If you have specific knowledge, experience or passion regarding one of our regions, please inform us during your interview so it can be taken into consideration. The Recruiting Team makes all final decisions about team and region placement.
WHAT ARE THE POSITIONS?
A single team consists of a Camp Director and three Summer Coaches. Each member of the team is hired to specialize as a head coach in one of the following areas: 1) basketball & street hockey, 2) soccer & ultimate frisbee, 3) dance & cheerleading, and 4) arts & crafts. Aside from this area of coaching specialty, each team member is equipped to perform all other elements of camp. SportsLife Camps also hires staff to fill the Utility Coach position. This staff member will be assigned to a team based on a particular need. See Job Descriptions for more details.
WHO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
We seek individuals with the qualities and traits found in our most successful summer staff - an active relationship with Christ, servant leadership, humility, perseverance, critical thinking, organizational and motivational skills and respect for and ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and denominations. Many of these traits are the same characteristics that define great leaders in any context.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR WORKING ON SPORTSLIFE CAMPS STAFF?
SportsLife Camps staff members are selected based on their qualifications. At minimum, potential SportsLife staff must be in their first year out of high school (equivalent to a first-year college student). SportsLife policy requires that staff be 21 years or older to be eligible to drive company vehicles. SportsLife also requires that staff be able to conduct various physical and strenuous tasks in a safe manner. Tasks include, but are not limited to, lifting and carrying sometimes heavy equipment and supplies, directing children in various activities and drills and safely operating SportsLife vehicles.
WHAT ARE THE DATES OF EMPLOYMENT?
The dates for full-summer employment are June 5 – August 14, 2011. All staff must be available for the entire summer. Camp Directors also have one weekend of training in Minneapolis in late spring.
IS THERE AN APPLICATION DEADLINE?
Positions are filled as applications are reviewed and interviews are completed. It is best to get your application in as soon as possible. We begin hiring staff in November and will continue to accept applications until all positions have been filled. Check our website for staffing updates.
HOW DO I APPLY ?
All applicants first submit an online application. Selected applicants participate in a 30 minute phone interview and/or a written activity and the most promising applicants will participate in an hour long interview. From the time an online application is submitted through decision notification can take two to six weeks (varying upon season). Please note that without reference forms a hiring decision will be delayed.
HOW MUCH WILL I GET PAID?
The salary for new Summer Coaches is $2,500. Camp Directors have a higher starting salary. Returning staff receive a pay increase from their last SportsLife summer. In addition to your salary, SportsLife provides lodging, a food stipend and all work-related transportation (with the exception of travel to your training location at the beginning of summer and travel home from that location at the end of the summer). Because of limited summer expenses, summer staff members have found that they can make a comparable summer wage to that of a mainstream summer job.
DO I NEED TO BE CPR OR FIRST AID CERTIFIED?
Yes. You will need to be certified in Infant, Child and Adult CPR and First Aid if hired. Please note that online CPR and First Aid courses do NOT meet our certification requirements. Certification must be completed before the start of summer training. SportsLife will reimburse half the cost of your class(es) if you are hired as staff. We advise all potential staff to begin looking for a class as soon as possible. Visit www.redcross.org or call your local fire department for possible classes in your area. Many schools offer certification classes as well.
HOW DOES TRAINING WORK?
All summer staff members spend their first week together at our training location in Minneapolis. After training, staff teams travel (using SportsLife vehicles) to their Early Bird camp. A more experienced SportsLife staff person will join your team for this week in order to provide additional leadership and training. Following Early Bird, your team will continue to be visited and trained as needed by your Area Director. At the end of the summer, all teams will return their vehicles and equipment to Minneapolis and spend time debriefing, resting and celebrating what God has done over the past summer.
WHAT IS YOUTHWORKS?
YouthWorks provides quality, affordable, life-changing, Christ-centered summer mission opportunities for youth and multi-generational groups. YouthWorks began in 1994 with two mission sites with over 400 youth participating. Now, almost 18 years later, there are 75+ mission sites with 40,000 participants expected in 2011. Learn more about YouthWorks at www.youthworks.com.
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