Camp Overview

The Sherwood Forest athletic program is designed to offer a full spectrum of competitive and non-competitive sports and physical activities to expose each participant to every possible endeavor that time, finances, and facilities will allow. Included are competitive individual and team athletic activities. The athletic program is balanced by the Camp’s many and varied creative and/or educational programs in the creative arts and natural sciences.

Equipment – Each child is expected to provide all “individual” equipment required for the various activities including (but not limited to):

  • golf bag, clubs, and balls
  • tennis racquet and balls
  • ping pong paddle
  • archery glove and tab
  • badminton racquet
  • lacrosse stick
  • softball glove

All equipment should be plainly marked for identification. Traditionally this would include a last name and cottage number. All campers are encouraged to bring filled water bottles to activities.

Team Competition – For the purpose of team competition the members of each group are equally divided from the outset into Romans and Spartans. The Roman/Spartan division is basic to the program, with each participant identifying with this general “team spirit.” At the end of the year all individual points earned (see Overall High Point System) are accumulated and the winner of the annual overall team competition announced by the Camp director at Trophy Night, with the year’s numeral designation duly added to the prominently displayed banner. Those sport played on a team basis include: softball, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, water polo, bowling, volleyball and basketball. In addition, the annual Roman/Spartan swim meet is held the last week of Camp, and the track and field meet is held the Monday of “break week”.

Individual Competition – Individual participation, training, improvement and reward are emphasized in certain athletic endeavors in the program. In keeping with age group ability to effectively participate, those offered include: archery, badminton, diving, golf, horseshoes, ping pong, swimming, and tennis. The systems for competition among these are presented below.

Ladder Play  – A ladder system of play is used in the Midget thru Senior groups for archery, badminton, horseshoes, ping pong and tennis which involve competition between two individuals. A ladder is a ranking of participants in an athletic endeavor in which challenges form the entry to higher levels in the ladder. The children in each group are separated into 2 divisions in each sport, based on their individual ability in that sport as determined by the counselor, these groups being designated “Championship” and “Open”. Match play tournaments are held in each section to determine the initial ladder rankings except in archery where medal play score is utilized. Golf uses the medal play score throughout the summer.

Ladder Play Challenges – An individual in one position on the ladder is eligible to challenge another individual in the two next higher positions on the ladder and is subject to be challenged by any individual in the two positions immediately below on the ladder. An individual who fails to make or accept a challenge because he is not present at the time the challenges are arranged will be considered as absent. Each individual will be required to give one challenge and to accept one challenge in each activity period unless circumstances exist which, in the judgment of the counselor, will prevent the playing of two matches. An individual may play more than two matches during an activity period, but is not required to accept more than two challenges.

Each individual will be entitled to be excused one time each season without loss of ladder position because of sickness or other compelling family reason requiring his absence from Sherwood Forest. An individual will be dropped two places on the ladder for each absence from an activity period thereafter during which matches in the particular sport are played.

Ladder Playoffs – A match play tournament is conducted at the end of each season in each sport in which ladder competition has been conducted to determine the champion and runner-up in the sport. The top 8 individuals on the ladder participate in this tournament on the following basis:
#1 vs. #8 #2 vs. #7
#3 vs. #6 #4 vs. #5

Any individual who remains unbeaten in any sport throughout the season is awarded the championship without a competing play-off. In case two or more participants remain unbeaten, a play-off will be held. In the event the championship is determined without competition in the play-off tournament, the next highest 4 individuals on the ladder participate in a tournament on the following basis to determine the runner-up:
#2 vs. #5 #3 vs. #4

During “Playoff Week”, those campers not on the Championship or Open Ladders are placed on the Consolation Ladder and awards given to the winner and runner-up.

Skill Development – Novice age campers work on skill development in the following areas ping-pong, badminton, horseshoes, and tennis. There is skill testing at the end of the camp season and awards given at Trophy Night for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Most Improved. In addition to the ladder play, the camp offers individual achievement awards for the Junior Olympic Archery Development Program (Juniors thru Seniors) and the Junior Medalist Golf Program (Midgets & Up).

Water Sports – To take full advantage of both our waterfront facility and our swimming pool, a great emphasis is placed on swimming instruction, diving, swim races, canoeing, and sailing.

Swimming – A complete American National Red Cross program is offered for all. As a child moves up through the program, he or she can progress through the various levels of swimming, earning written certification for each phase successfully completed.

Swimming sessions are scheduled for both Main Pier and the Pool. Please refer to the weekly camp schedule for specific group & location information.

Diving – Camp diving competition is held each week. Age groups for diving are determined by the waterfront staff. Weekly “diving championship points” are awarded within these groups, and individual diving point totals are accumulated individually to determine season diving champions. Diving meets with other communities are scheduled for some Friday evenings at the pool.

Swim Races – A series of races for each group in various strokes are held Wednesday mornings to expose all participants to the training and competition aspects of swimming. Campers are urged to report by 9:20 am and are required to “check-in” with the staff at the beach end of the pier. Races begin promptly at 9:30 am. NITS will complete all of their races by 10:30am and be escorted by their counselor to the Arts & Crafts Room for the remainder of the morning session. “Swimming points” are earned on the following individual race basis:

1st place – 5 points 3rd place – 2 points
2nd place – 3 points 4th place – 1 point

On the basis of an individual being able to participate in a maximum of 3 swim events, the “swim points” for that day are totaled and point earners awarded swim points toward individual season honors on a cumulative point basis. All Campers who improve their personal best time in the weekly swim races (whether they “place” or not) will be awarded an additional point.

Boating / Sailing – Instruction in basic boating & sailing skills is offered as a part of the waterfront program. Sailing instruction begins at the Junior level. All children are required to wear life jackets while in the Camp boats. There will be no exception to this rule. Campers are allowed to bring their own life jackets.

Creative / Educational Programs

Over the years the camp program has grown to offer a variety of activities to the camper. In addition to athletics, the camp offers a variety of different experiences for the camper. These include:

Arts n Crafts – Arts and Crafts is offered as an integral part of the Camp program and is headquartered in a facility adjacent to the bowling alleys on the lower level of the Clubhouse. Campers are generally scheduled for Arts & Crafts on a weekly basis. An Arts & Crafts Show displaying the camper’s summer projects is scheduled in August. All campers regardless of whether they have their 75% attendance record are eligible for the Arts & Crafts Award. An information sheet is distributed to the campers with the award’s criteria.

Nature Program – The Nature Lab is located under Stewart Hall in the Clubhouse. The Nature Program provides the camper with interesting activities involving the environment. Many of the field trips are sponsored by the Nature Program. There is no attendance criteria for the Nature Awards given out on Trophy Night.

Music Program – Campers are exposed to the performing arts in our Music/Dance Program. Most of the NIT thru Intermediate aged campers participate in the mid-season Camp Fire Sing and end of season Talent Show, the culminating event for the Music Program.

Great Books Program – Playground through Senior aged campers are led through storytelling and great literary works to encourage critical reading skills and intellectual discernment. A Shared Inquiry methodology is utilized to establish the formation of a critical analysis capacity within each participating Camper.

Field Trips – NIT thru Senior aged campers will be scheduled for one field trip during the summer. General permission slips were issued at registration and are kept on file. Specific trip information is announced on the Camp Schedule, the “Camp Calendar”, the Camp’s website, and fact sheets sent home to the parents in advance.

Shows – Special shows will be offered throughout the summer to various aged campers. These shows are both culturally/educationally based and entertaining.

Overall High Point System

General – In addition to the team and individual endeavors conducted within each group, an achievement point system is utilized for each group. Based on individual participation and achievement, points are earned and duly recorded throughout the season for each person registered in the program. High point awards are made to individuals on their total count earned based on the following:

Attendance – One point is awarded for attendance for each scheduled activity period, including Wednesday morning swim races. To be entitled to an attendance point the individual must be present at roll call at the beginning of the period and remain throughout the entire period. Any individual who leaves the activity without being excused by the counselor or without adequate reason will be denied the attendance point for the period. Actual participation in the swim races is not necessary for an individual to earn the attendance point.

Ladder Play
Initial tournaments – Points will be awarded as follows:
1st place – 5 points 3rd place – 2 points
2nd place – 3 points 4th place – 1 point

Regular ladder play – Challenge play shall take place as outlined previously. In individual matches (limited to two matches per period for point achievement) points will be awarded as follows:

Championship – match winner – 2 points
Championship – match loser – 1 point
Open – match winner – 2 points
Open – match loser – 1 point

Team Play Winning team member – 3 points
Losing team member – 1 point

Swim Races – Beside the attendance point available to all children participating or attending Wednesday morning swim races, (they should check-in and check-out with counselor in either case) those individuals earning swim championship points for the day in each group shall be awarded points toward “high” point on the following basis:

Highest Total 5 points
2nd highest total 3 points
3rd highest total 2 points
4th highest total 1 point

Swim Records – Any individual displaying the ability to equal or break any existing (at the time) Sherwood Forest record shall be awarded bonus “high point” points on the following basis:

Breaking an existing record – 5 points
Equaling an existing record – 3 points

Diving – Beside the attendance point, those individuals earning “Diving” points for the day in each diving group shall be awarded points toward “high” point on the following basis:

Highest Total 3 points
2nd highest total 2 points
3rd highest total 1 point

Other – At the discretion of the staff, points may be awarded to individuals for outstanding achievement in activities such as Arts and Crafts, Nature and Music.