Youth Baseball and Softball Camps

Welcome to the Official Site of the Detroit Tigers Youth Baseball / Softball Camps presented by NIKE.

Any boy or girl who has ever picked up a bat, a ball and dared to dream the dream will find these week-long camps about as close to Tigers baseball heaven as they can get to being their favorite Tigers players.

Tigers Territory loves its baseball and softball. From tee-ball to travel ball, this is truly one of the nation's great hotbeds for these wonderful games. As a professional baseball organization, the Detroit Tigers have so much to share with the tens of thousands of players, parents and coaches who love baseball and softball as much as we do!

Our promise is to create a world class Detroit Tigers Baseball Experience that will create lifelong memories for every boy and girl who joins us. Read on and see why this summer could be the best summer ever for your young player.

A Word from the Tigers Camp Executive Director

Many of the photos featured here are from our inaugural season of camp in 2019. The Detroit Tigers Baseball/Softball Camps will continue to follow the latest health and safety guidelines.

Camp Philosophy

Camp Culture

Kids will come to camp who have never played ball before and kids will come to camp who may someday have a chance to play for real at Comerica Park. Some kids will come just to meet a Tigers player and others to become a Tiger. Regardless, we owe all players the camp experience of a lifetime. And we won't settle for anything less. We will work to deliver the camp experience of a lifetime to all of our campers.

It is important to understand that we place a high value on having fun and our idea of having fun is helping each athlete who wants to get better, do just that. Tigers Baseball Camps is an honest-to-goodness baseball/softball camp where we expect everyone to be better on Friday than when they came to us on Monday. Now THAT'S fun.

Our camp staff will be off the charts with baseball and softball smarts and unbridled passion to share it with your kids. We know the game, but we also know that our passion for instruction needs to be blended with competition and fun. The kids will receive great exposure and instruction wrapped up in a Tigers experience that they will never forget.

The Curriculum

At each Tigers Camp we use a progressive system of hitting, throwing and fielding. Depending on how well the groups achieve the various steps in our teaching progression, we will advance the curriculum to match that progress. Drills and methodologies reflect the latest baseball scientific data and are consistent with teaching modalities used in the Detroit Tigers Major and Minor League systems.

Safety. Safety. Safety.

How can we have a camp with six year-olds and 14 year-olds? Great question. Look at it this way. A K-8 school does not have second graders and eighth graders in P.E. or math class together. They may pass in the hallways, take the same bus and be in the same yearbook but they are not in class together. Get the picture? At Tigers Baseball Camp, they will not be in "class" together either.

Not all players of the same age have equal ability. For safety reasons and because it facilitates the best learning environment, players will be grouped by age and ability. These "teams" will then stay together throughout the week with the same coach. There will be cross-pollination of instructors but we have found that the bonds created between teammates and their primary coach is one of the truly special dynamics at camp.

And yes, at our instructors' discretion, tennis balls, whiffle balls and safety balls will be used liberally at camp. Of course, we will use regulation baseballs and softballs but fear-free confidence is a critical foundation for fun and learning success.

Travel Player??? We're Ready For You Too!

Pardon our boasting but there isn't much the Detroit Tigers don't know about baseball. There are some reasons that travel players will give for not attending camp. There are so many more reasons why they should.

The bottom line is that no matter how good you are or how good you want to be, we have a curriculum and instructors who will get you ready for that night's game or next weekend's big tourney.

We understand that travel ballplayers' schedules can be hectic in the summer. We will protect your arm if you are scheduled to pitch and you can take it easy if you've got the "big" game that night. Give us a week and you will improve, no matter your current level of play.

Instruction

Instructors

Never underestimate the value of a great coach. Our instructors mandate is to "teach and to reach." Great teachers can be game changers in our kids' lives. Great baseball and softball coaches are the same.

We carefully select, screen, train and monitor our instructors. Then we encourage them to unleash all the passion and creativity they can muster.

Each camp day for your child should be a masterpiece. These coaches get that…and they love it.

The bottom line? The men and women entrusted with the training of your kids are as good as they come. We promise.

Every instructor will undergo a thorough background check and will be "SafeSport Trained" as required by Major League Baseball.

Video Analysis With Blast Motion

Much of what happens in the baseball/softball swing happens too fast to be tracked by the human eye. We are excited to announce that beginning this summer, we will utilize Blast Motion, one of most advanced measurement devices used in MLB , to deliver even more valuable insight. With Blast Motion, we have the ability to provide extraordinary data that will help your player reach the next level. If you would like your athlete’s swing recorded and personally analyzed featuring a comparison to Miguel Cabrera, please check the appropriate box on the registration form. There will be a $25 additional fee for this service.

NOTE: Videos will be completed following the camp season.

An Amazing Tigers Experience

What You Get

Every camper will be given a full, MLB quality Detroit Tigers uniform (jersey, pants, hat and belt). If you are going to train like a major leaguer, might as well dress like one.
You will receive four tickets to one Tigers home game. You will be able to select a date from a list of approved dates. Location of game tickets to be determined, subject to availability. If conditions do not allow for tickets in the 2021 season, tickets will be distributed for the 2022 season. The ticket program is subject to change based on COVID protocols, seating availability, or any guidance from the Michigan Department of Health, Major League Baseball, or the Detroit Tigers.
Keepsake graduation certificate commemorating your attendance at a Detroit Tigers Baseball Camp.
Returning campers will receive a unique commemorative patch to proudly display on his/her new uniform.

Subject to change if required by the Department of Health or MLB.

V.I.P Day Trip to Comerica Park for a behind-the-scenes experience

Parents, at this time you should plan on five full camp days at the camp site. However if health conditions and league mandates permit, on one of the five camp days, campers will be transported by bus to Comerica Park for a day we are sure they will never forget. If circumstances allow our Comerica Park trip, you will immediately receive an email with details.

Skills Competition with Champions' Day at Comerica Park

Kids love to compete so we've made sure they have an opportunity to strut their competitive stuff while using the very skills we will be teaching them at camp. Every camper will participate in a baseball or softball Skills Competition. Each week, scores will be posted on the website and after the last camp, the top scores will be invited to the Champions Day Finals at Comerica Park. Boys and girls will compete separately in appropriate grade groups.

Subject to change if required by the Department of Health or MLB.

The Tigers Baseball Camps are proud to be part of the Detroit Tigers Foundation, an affiliate of Ilitch Charities. Camp proceeds support the Foundation's mission of enhancing lives through the game of baseball with a focus on youth, education and recreation.

Have other questions about Tigers Baseball & Softball Camps?

Contact Tim Rappé by email or phone below.