Parent Information

At GNW Sports Camps, we strive to have a rock solid parent-to-staff relationship with open and easy communication. We recognize that entrusting us with your child for a week is one of the biggest responsibilities imaginable – we take that responsibility seriously.

Each of the rules and procedures we have in place for GNW Sports Camps are designed to maximize your athletes’: (1) Safety and (2) Fun. Your support of our procedures is greatly appreciated to help build a consistent experience for your child and others.

Drop Off: The camp check-in period will be from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm on Sunday, June 28th. During this time you will have the chance to meet our fantastic head coaches and camp counselors. At 2:30 pm we will hold a quick meeting to welcome the athletes to camp and say goodbye to parents.  

Check in will be at the Sisters Park & Recreation District's Coffield Community Center at 1750 W McKinney Butte Rd, Sisters, OR. Do note that Google Maps doesn’t always direct you to this address correctly. We are located just beyond Sisters High School (1700 W McKinney Butte Rd), which will navigate correctly.

Pick Up: We will hold a Grand Finale Camp Race and presentation on Friday, July 3rd at 11:30 am. At this time, athletes will run a short race and coaches will present awards in a ceremony. Parents are invited to attend the Finale & Awards competition. Athlete belongings and bags will be packed up and ready to go at the conclusion of this event. Our camp staff will also make your medications available to you for pick up. We highly encourage you to stay and allow your athlete to participate in their closing presentation but understand if you must leave before. If you cannot attend the race, we anticipate the race and awards will conclude at approximately 1:00 pm. There is no lunch provided on this day so your athlete will be hungry at the conclusion of camp.

Medication: We understand that your child may have a very specific regimen for medication and we want to ensure that they receive the best care possible. Please bring your prescriptions or over-the-counter medication in their own bottles. Put the bottles in a Ziploc bag with your athlete’s name clearly marked on the front. For insurance purposes, we may not accept prescription medication that is out of their prescription bottle. You will have an opportunity at registration to speak with our camp staff about your child’s medical needs. Please do not allow your athlete to carry medication themselves – this may lead to misuse, abuse, or theft. If your athlete requires medication to be carried at all times for life threatening conditions, such as rescue inhalers, epi pens, or insulin, please talk with our camp staff.

All athletes at camp must be responsible enough to know their medication schedule, and come to the camp office during medication distribution times (after breakfast, dinner, and evening snack). Camp staff will be there to assist campers. If campers are not mature enough to manage their own medication needs, then maybe waiting another year before sending your child to camp is the best move.

Medication left at the conclusion of the camp will not be mailed home. It is the responsibility of the camper to pick up his medication at the conclusion of the camp.

Emergency Contact: In cases of emergency, you may contact the Sisters Park & Recreation District Main office at (541)-549-2091 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. The receptionist will know the best way to reach the camp group on that given day.

Mail/Email/Call Your Child: If an emergency arises and you need to speak with your child please call the SPRD Office, and we will be able to either have the child come to the phone, or call you back once they have returned from their activities. Please do not call your child for non-emergencies. Campers have very little down-time and pulling athletes out of activities to talk to their parents is usually very embarrassing for the child, and disruptive to camp activities.

We are able to deliver mail to your child. Send any mail to the following address: Sisters Park & Recreation District, P.O Box 2215, Sisters, OR 97759. Be sure your child’s name is clearly marked on the package or letter. We will disseminate their mail once per day. Any mail that goes undelivered will be marked “return to sender” at the conclusion of the week. We will also collect outgoing mail from athletes daily.

Food: We understand that your athlete may want to have their own food and snacks. However, for pest control and sanitary purposes, please do not allow your athlete to bring food or snacks to camp. We’ll provide plenty of food throughout the day at our three meals and two snacks. Wildlife may be attracted to food and could pose a problem. If food or snacks are discovered, they will have to be confiscated. If your child has special medical dietary needs and you would like to send special food, i.e. gluten free energy bars, please contact camp staff and we can arrange for this to be stored in the camp pantry.

We will have vegetarian options for each meal, unfortunately we are not able to cater to any other dietary preferences.  Gluten free is available upon request, if you have any other allergies or medical food restrictions please call our camp director.

Electronics/iPod/iPad/Laptop/Cell Phone: Please do not allow your child to bring these items to camp. A part of the camp experience is to take a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Though it sometimes feels hard for the plugged-in teen to skip a week of texting, it is possible to do! Talk to them about how they can prepare their friends for their week-long technology sabbatical. Encourage them to make some advance notifications. Even if they’re only contained to the yurt/cabin, electronics quickly become the focal point of life within that space. It’s a distraction and often actually increases homesickness and is disruptive to other individuals. With the time and energy they’d otherwise spend with technology, your child could instead build friendships and learn valuable social skills among new peers. In cases of emergency, your child’s counselor has access to a cell phone.

Homesickness: For many children, homesickness may become an issue. If this is the case for your child, we ask that you please trust our staff to notice and address the issue appropriately. In most cases, children need a regimen of positivity, inclusivity, and a slate of activities to look forward to. It may feel like the obvious solution that a homesick child should call or text home but this often exacerbates the problem. It is quite common for kids to feel homesick around meal times, then feel totally fine an hour later once they are back in activities.  If homesickness becomes an issue beyond our capabilities/strategies, we will contact you and ask for your personalized guidance. If that still doesn’t work, at that point it may be time to have your son or daughter speak with you on the phone and get your assessment on if he/she should go home.

Injuries: In the case of any serious injury, we will call emergency services and contact the parent as soon as we can(using the information given at registration). If that person is unavailable, we will then contact the emergency contact person. If a medical facility is required, we will utilize St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, Oregon.

Equipment: All equipment is brought at your own risk. We will make every possible arrangement to ensure the safety of your athlete’s equipment however we cannot guarantee any part of its condition or protection from theft. In the case of broken or missing equipment, we will make every accommodation possible to offer replacement equipment to loan for the remainder of the week.Thank you for choosing GNW Sports Camps.