Middle School XC Camp

Race like a champion next season

The Maine Cross Country Running Camp is a balanced week of intense training, core mileage, information sessions, and proper recovery, stretching and injury-prevention drills. The camp stresses the character-building aspect of running, bolstering runners' spirits of self-reliance and work ethic. We see distance running as a way of life that can help campers achieve healthy bodies, tough minds, and lifelong friendships in addition to important achievements and trophies.

The camp will emphasize base mileage and strength workouts for summer training. Most of the miles will be run on the soft surfaces of forest trails. Campers include runners of all abilities from all-star high school runners to runners who are just getting started in the sport. We have seven different levels of training groups available during every session. Runners will also have the option of participating in a hill workout and a tempo run during the week.

The nature of the activities at camp allows campers to practice resolving disagreements and navigating a variety of social situations on their own. Counselors are skillful referees of camp life, but campers learn to experience and make their way through a variety of responsibilities, duties, opportunities, and activities.

Daily lectures from current high school and/or college runners will include topics such as cross training, core strengthening, warming up for races, and race tactics.

Cross-training options will include jump rope, medicine ball drills, swimming, kayaking, core exercises, splitting wood with an axe, volleyball, and swimming 400m to an island in the lake (optional and must pass a swim test first). Camp staff members will also teach campers how to run in the water.

Campers will also have the opportunity to develop skills and participate in activities such as Sailing & Windsurfing, guitar & ukulele, dodgeball games, and capture the flag.

Slovenski camps is a coed campground. Girls' cabins are separate from boys' cabins, but most activities, free time, and meals are coed.

Read more about our old school camp philosophy below. Or check out our activities page to see what a day in the life of a camper can look like. Or go to facilities to view our beautiful campus and rustic accommodations. The FAQ page has a wealth of commonly sought answers. If you still have questions, you can get in touch with us using the contact info at the bottom of each page, or chat with a counselor instantly using the chat box in the bottom right. We'd love to hear from you!

Camp Philosophy

Slovenski Camps are guided by the Liberal Arts traditions of Western Civilization. We believe in helping campers learn what we call the Liberal Arts for Children: swimming, dodgeball, capture the flag, singing, dancing, paddling, sailing, manners, thoughtfulness, reading classics, and cleaning up after ourselves. Summer camp should be a place free from the distraction of glowing screens. Campers will learn to have fun the way their parents and grandparents did — playing outside. They will engage in unique, exciting activities that teach real-life skills such as mental toughness, how to work alone and in teams, how to quickly adapt to new rules and conditions, and how to defend yourself with Battle Rockets and dodgeballs.

In the fun of competition campers will create new friendships. Our carefully selected staff is trained to inspire fair play, good sportsmanship, bravery, and exercise.

A day at camp includes games, education, and exposure to the arts including classic literature, music, dance, and poetry. Campers hear and often learn to memorize poems such as "No Man is an Island" by John Donne, "If" by Rudyard Kipling, "The Happy Warrior" by William Wordsworth, and "The Walrus and the Carpenter" by Lewis Carroll. Camp also includes free time periods similar to the freedom children have during school recess or while playing with friends in the neighborhood.

Each evening concludes with a campfire that features contests, singing, dancing, recognition, stories, and encouragement for good standards of self-reliance and friendship that we remember from our Protestant Sunday school classes. "Thoughts for the Day" are read aloud at campfires each night, and include wisdom of the ages such as George Washington's "It is better to be alone than in bad company", and "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" from Jesus in the Book of St. Matthew.

Children's Mental Health

Our summer camp program has been positive for childhood mental health. We stayed open all through summers 2020 and 2021. Our camp helps children enjoy childhood, while also learning a lot of things that are good for mental health. Learning activity skills and how to clean up after yourself are excellent elements of childhood self-confidence.

Our counselors coach campers in character development activities such as meeting new people, welcoming new people, overcoming challenges, dealing with the adversity of not getting what you want all the time, being brave (in a safe setting), embracing high standards of conduct, and learning the joys of self-reliance. Our program emphasizes mental toughness and grit.

2023 Rates and Dates

rates are per week

2023 all-inclusive price: $1280

Early Season Pricing (6/17 & 6/24): $1150
--
Half Summer Discount: $300 off of 3 weeks
Full Summer Discount: $900 off of 6 weeks

Ages

For Boys and Girls entering Grades 5 through 9

Please note that camp is a co-educational environment
--
Session run from Saturday afternoon to Saturday morning.
Campers may come for one week, several weeks in a row, or multiple non-consecutive weeks.