Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The following are some frequently asked questions regarding our camp program. If you cannot find the answer to your question or would like to speak with someone in more detail, please contact us at [email protected] or give us a call at 202-715-6683.
What are the camp hours?
Camp runs from 8:45 a.m. until 2:45 p.m., Monday to Friday. Optional extended day programs are available before and after camp beginning at 8:00 a.m. and running until 6:00 p.m.
Lessons are also offered after camp and run until 4:00 p.m. These lessons foster an environment for ballplayers to continue building skills they have learned at camp through additional instruction and coaching. These hitting and fielding lessons have limited capacity and fill up well before the camp week begins.
What does my ballplayer need to bring to camp?
A Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps uniform and hat will be provided to each player on the first day of camp.
Everything brought to camp should be labeled with your ballplayer’s first initial and last name. Your ballplayer must bring:
- Baseball glove
- Cleats and athletic shoes (please bring sneakers every day so that your ballplayer can participate fully in indoor activities, if available at your site, in the event of inclement weather)
- Lunch in a lunch bag labeled clearly with the ballplayer's name. Please include an icepack if lunch items need to remain cold. We do not provide refrigeration.
- Water bottle to be refilled throughout the day (we provide plenty of water at all times)
- Bat*
- Helmet*
*We strongly encourage campers to bring their own bats and helmets. In the event a camper needs to borrow equipment, coaches will be able to provide some for use during the camp day. At the end of the day, the equipment will be returned to the coach.
What is the age range for ballplayers?
All children between rising kindergarten and rising eighth grade are welcome at Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps.
Do ballplayers need prior baseball or softball experience?
We welcome all levels of experience from first-time ballplayers to travel team players.
Do you separate children by grade?
Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps ballplayers are separated into teams based on their rising grade and selected skill level. Ballplayers take part in drills and competitions within their teams, so we work to balance skill levels within each team to ensure the best possible competitive environment for a fun, safe, and developmental experience while at camp
Can my ballplayer be on the same team as his friend/teammate/sibling?
Yes! During our registration process, you can request that your ballplayer is placed on the same team as his or her friends by creating a new Buddy Group or joining an existing Buddy Group.
Ballplayers may request up to three (3) teammates. We do our best to group your ballplayer with at least one requested teammate provided that both teammates are members of the same rising grade.
Please note: we are unable to guarantee that your ballplayer will be teamed with his or her requested friends, depending on age group, enrollment, and team distribution.
Who are the Coaches?
Our coaching staff is made up of experienced coaches from all levels; including high school, current and former collegiate players, and coaches of all skill levels. All Nationals Baseball Summer Camps staff are subject to a rigorous screening process.
REGISTRATION
Do you offer any discounts?
We offer a 10% multi-program discount both for siblings and repeat campers. This discount applies automatically at registration checkout when your family enrolls in more than one week of camp. Please note: the 10% multi-program discount is only applied to the tuition of additional enrolled weeks.
We also offer team discounts. For more information, please contact us at [email protected].
Do I receive a confirmation when I register?
Once you register and pay for your camp session(s), you will receive a confirmation email for your records. This email serves as your confirmation of registration for camp. If you complete your registration and do not submit payment, you will still receive a confirmation email but, you will be added to a waitlist.
When will I receive the Blast Baseball or Softball Personal Swing Trainer I purchased?
Once you have purchased your Blast Baseball or Softball Personal Swing Trainer, it will be mailed to you directly from the manufacturer prior to camp. This gives you time to set it up and use it before your camper brings it to their week of camp.
Will I receive additional information about camp after I register?
As summer approaches, we will begin communicating information for your upcoming camp session(s) to the email address provided at registration. Email communication goes to the email address listed on the primary account provided upon registering. If you registered for camp and did not receive a confirmation email, please contact us.
The week before camp, we'll send out more detailed information about your camp session(s) including drop-off location and instructions, procedures for Monday morning, what to bring to camp, as well as friendly tips and reminders. In addition to this pre-camp information, you'll receive a handful of emails throughout the week with important communications regarding the camp day and announcements.
What happens when a ballplayer is enrolled on a waitlist?
When a camp session reaches capacity, we will move that session to a waitlist. Adding your ballplayer's name to the waitlist for a session is free of charge and you will not need to provide credit card information at that time. Each year, some spots open in sessions that have reached capacity as summer plans change. If a spot opens for your ballplayer, we will contact you immediately via phone to confirm that you would still like to enroll your ballplayer in the session. At that time, we will take credit card information and enroll your ballplayer(s) into camp.
Do you accept "walk-up" registrations?
We do not accept walk-up registrations.
What are Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps policies on refunds, credits and transfers?
Please see our "Policies" page, which dictates our guidelines on credits and refunds.
THE CAMP WEEK
When will my ballplayer(s) receive a uniform?
Ballplayers will be provided an official Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps uniform on the first morning of their camp session. On the first day of the session, ballplayers should arrive dressed in the following:
- Regular T-shirt (regular cotton or performance wear)
- Athletic shorts, sweatpants, or baseball pants
- Shoes and/or cleats of choice
- Please note there is no need to wear or bring a hat as one will be provided to campers when they arrive to camp Monday morning
For the first day of camp, ballplayers will wear their Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps jersey and hat with the pants they arrived at camp in that morning. At the conclusion of Monday's camp, ballplayers will be sent home with their full Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps uniform including a jersey, pants, and hat (socks and belt included for World Series Experience). For the remainder of the camp session, ballplayers must wear their Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps jersey and hat to camp each day.
Does my child need to wear his/her jersey every day?
Ballplayers are expected to wear their Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps jersey each day of camp. The only exception is their first day of camp on Monday.
World Series Camp Experience only: For Stadium visits, campers are REQUIRED to wear their full Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps uniform. This includes jersey, pants, hat, socks, and belt. Cleats cannot be worn during the stadium visit. Please be sure to send your camper to camp in sneakers.
Do I need to pack a lunch for my ballplayer(s) each day?
Yes. Please send your ballplayer(s) to camp with a lunch bag labeled clearly with his or her name. If you pack anything that needs to be kept cool, please include an icepack in the lunch bag. Lunches are not able to be refrigerated at camp. If your ballplayer’s lunch requires utensils, please include those in the lunch bag as well.
World Series Camp Experience only: For Stadium visits, camper’s lunches will be kept in a large bag/bins for transport throughout the tour.
Does Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps provide sunscreen?
Yes. We encourage ballplayers to bring their own sunscreen. However, we have sunscreen on-site, and with permission granted in the enrollment process, we will supply sunscreen if your ballplayer(s) forgets or loses their own.
How do you handle inclement weather?
Our approach to inclement weather is subject to change, depending on factors including our camp facilities. In all events of inclement weather, we will proactively communicate our plan to enrolled families and will do everything in our control to host camp for your ballplayer that day.
If we determine that the weather is too severe or the fields are too damp to play on for a particular day, camp cancellation for that day is a possibility. In the event of a weather-affected cancellation of a camp day, we will offer a Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps credit in an amount commensurate to the missed day of camp.
What precautions do you take to handle the summer heat?
Our entire coaching staff understands the summer heat can drain a ballplayer throughout the day and week. Water is always available, and ballplayers are required to take water and sunscreen re-application breaks throughout the day. In extreme cases, we will consider brief delays from baseball instruction under on-site sheltered areas to escape heat. Should this situation arise, we will send out a message prior to the start of camp with helpful instructions on what you can do to prepare your ballplayer for a hot camp day as well as information on what precautions we will be taking to combat the heat.
Can parents/guardians come watch the camp activities?
We do not allow parents to watch camp activities.
Can Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps accommodate children with life-threatening allergies?
Yes. Families with children who have peanut, tree nut, or other life-threatening allergies can feel safe and comfortable at our summer camps. Note, we are a nut/peanut free program. Campers should avoid packing any food items containing these ingredients.
At the beginning of each camp day, our camp staff will take special note of children with life-threatening allergies by placing a mandatory, but inconspicuous, colored bracelet around the ballplayer's wrist marked with the child's name for identification purposes (in case of Epi-Pen use, etc.).
If your ballplayer is bringing medication to camp (i.e. Epi-Pen), your ballplayer's coach will have the medication on hand in a fanny pack at all times during camp. The medication will be checked in on Monday morning of camp with our on-site safety representative and will be returned on Friday at check-out. These procedures and policies will be clearly communicated in advance of camp to ballplayers who have indicated that they will be bringing medication to camp.
VISIT TO NATIONALS PARK
How do the ballplayers get to and from Nationals Park?
Ballplayers registered for the World Series Experience will travel to and from the stadium in a charter bus, in the same fashion that the Nationals would arrive at an opposing ballpark! Coaches are spread throughout each bus to ensure proper supervision, and conduct attendance checks regularly throughout our stadium experience and each time we exit or enter the bus.
Is the trip to Nationals Park an all-day visit?
Yes. The camp hours will stay roughly the same, 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. In some cases, buses will leave earlier or arrive later than the scheduled camp hours - if that is the case, we will communicate any changes regarding the times well in advance of the visit to Nationals Park.
Can parents go on the visit to Nationals Park?
No. Due to safety and logistical concerns, only Nationals Baseball & Softball Summer Camps campers and staff are allowed to enter the stadium during our visit. Every detail about the trip and tour has been designed with safety (of ballplayers and parents/guardians alike) as the top priority, and to maximize their fan experience at Nationals Park.
If you cannot find the answer to your question or would like to speak with someone in more detail, please contact us at [email protected] or give us a call at 202-715-6682.