Frequently Asked Questions
NOTE: Registration online will require full payment
Do boys and girls train together on the field?
The campers are grouped according to age, requests, and ability within groups no bigger than 10-12 campers for every one staff coach. When the campers arrive at camp they will be placed into a group consisting of other campers of the same age within the program and with anyone requested for them to be with. From there the staff will asses the talent of each individual and adjust the groups according to ability. For example, if there is a camper within the group who is head and shoulders above the rest then he/she will be moved into a higher group of equal ability level.
How are the campers grouped during training and can parents attend?
All of the camps are set up for a co-ed environment. Boys and girls will be training together on the field, however the groups are still adjusted according to age, request, and ability.
All parents are always welcome at every session and match!
What equipment do I need to wear at camp?
All campers will be required to wear the necessary equipment required to play in a real game, that means wearing shinguards, socks, and kleets at all times when training. Also strongly encouraged is for each camper to bring their own squeeze bottle, an extra t-shirt, money for snacks, and flip flops or flats for indoor activities and meals.
Also, please make sure that each camper is dressed weather appropriately which means being prepared for the sun and rain! Please be sure to include sunblock and a rain jacket.
For our Owl Elite Academy players please be sure to bring a full weeks worth of clothes for training and competition (including cleats, shingaurds, and any other gear you may use regularly such as slider pants as a keeper or head guard as a field player), as well as toiletries, linens, flats for inside and when off the field, a cell phone that can act as an alarm clock and its charger, and money for concessions and pizzas. If you wish to, you may bring a portable refrigerator so that you can store sports drinks and any prescription medications that you must have overnight with your person.
Do the campers receive an evaluation?
Each full day camper and Owl Elite camper, during our Rice Soccer Academy Summer sessions, will receive a written evaluation from their staff coach with a score on the areas covered.
How old do the campers need to be?
Our camps offer instruction for campers of varied ages and abilities, from age 4 through age 18, including graduating seniors who wish to sharpen their game before attending college.
Our Owlet Camps are for ages 4-7, however if you wish to have your child placed in Full Day Camp as a 7 year old, our policy is to always defer to the parent. After all you know your child better than us! This is a frequent request that we honor and that always works out very well for the parents who have confidence that their child is ready for Full Day Camp.
Our Full Day Camps are for ages 8-16.
Our Owl Elite and Goalkeeper Academy is for ages 12-18. Again, if their are parents of soccer players younger than 12 who have confidence that their child is ready for the Owl Elite Academy, we will always honor their requests for enrollment.
What is the start time for Check In, Full Day Camp, Owlets, and the Owl Elite Acadmey, and can campers show up late for camp?
Check In for each Full Day Camp and Owlets is at 8:00 am on the first day of camp, Monday. We always suggest to show up closer to 8:00 am than later on in order to avoid the longer lines. As long as all your paperwork is complete (your proof of insurance information and signature release are on file) and your balance is paid you should be able to move through Check In rapidly. Check In for our Owl Elite Academy begins at 12 noon on the first day, Sunday.
INSURANCE: If you do not have insurance, you are required to purchase it at Check In for $30. This is a requirement of Rice University.
Our Full Day Camps start promptly at 9:00 am and conclude at 3:30 pm each day Monday through Friday. Our Owlet Camps start at 9:00 am and conclude at 11:30 am each day Monday through Thursday. Our Owl Elite Academy has a detailed schedule available at our "Camp Descriptions" page and please be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page.
The beginning of camp is very important. We go through registration, meet the staff, and conduct the general camp orientation. However, if a camper will not be able to make the beginning of camp please call us ahead of time to let us now that you will be late.
Can campers leave during camp or leave camp early?
Every session is an important part of the week, however if a camper has a prior commitment (e.g. soccer game) then you may leave camp. Campers will only be able to leave with a properly identified parent or guardian.
When is the deadline for getting in my application?
There is no deadline for submitting an application to camp. However the camps are very popular and will sell-out, so when you determine what camp is best for you, it is always a good idea to get your application in or Register On Line as soon as possible.
What happens if it rains at camp?
If it rains, is overcast, humid, hot... we expect to continue having our training sessions. We always train. As soccer is played in all weather, we train in all weather.
However, if the weather becomes dangerous (lightning, high winds, floods, extreme heat, etc.) we will move the campers to Baker Residential College (for our Full Day and Owlet camps), or they will return to their Residential College (for our Owl Elite Acadamy). Please visit our campus map located as a selection in the menu on the left hand side of this page for a more detailed look at the location of Baker College. We move to the protective shelter of the Residential College until the extreme weather subsides and then we return to our training!
We also advise you visit the Rice Owls Soccer Camp website where there will be daily postings, updates, and information addressing any weather issues especially if the extreme weather hits close to pick up or drop off time. Please be sure to stop by the intramural fields first before moving onto Baker Residential College for pick up and drop off during extreme weather.
HEAT and WATER?
Our coaching staff are all very sensitive to providing a challenging and fun training environment, but more importantly they clearly understand the need for taking many water breaks and erring on the side of caution with regard to the number of water breaks and their length. Our coaches will always take however long and however many times breaks are needed to insure that all players are keeping hydrated in the Houston Summer Heat and Humidity.
Every camper will receive their own Gatorade water bottle!! Please help your child remember their gatorade water bottle daily as we will no longer have a huge amount of cups available because everyone is given their own water bottle. There will be plenty of water and plenty of water breaks to keep everyone hydrated.
What is the camp refund policy?
We take every individual circumstance into consideration. We understand that the unforeseen does occur, and we want to work with you and have you return. With the exception of the non-refundable $100 for camp (which is marked clearly on every application and for which we will have already allocated coaches, equipment and administration), there are no set refund policies.
How supervised are the campers when they are not on the fields?
Throughout the day, staff are given specific assignments so that there will always be a supervising coach and/or administrator available at all times. This includes but is not limited to morning drop off, afternoon/evening pick up, meals, walking with individuals and/or groups to or from the fields, and residential college assignments for activities, rest periods, and lights out.
Where do the campers eat?
All summer soccer camp meals occur in one of Rice's state of the art Residential College cafeterias or in an on-campus eating establishment. The specific site will depend on availability and will be announced at the beginning of each camp session. Currently for this Summer Full Day Camps will be using Baker Residential College and the Owl Elite Residential Academy will be using Sid Richardson Residential College.
Our Winter Holiday Soccer Camp, only 3 hours total, is unable to offer meals.
What happens if a camper is seriously injured?
We have a plan of action for every emergency, including serious injury. Campers are transported to the local hospital after our certified nurse and/or athletic trainer has determined that the camper needs emergency care. Since we have the completed medical form and insurance information there will be no administrative delays at the hospital. A staff member will accompany the camper to the hospital and will contact the parents immediately.
What happens if a camper gets sick during camp?
We will have a fully certified athletic trainer on site to tend to injuries and minor ailments. If a camper becomes too sick to participate in a session at camp, we will place them with our athletic trainer for supervision. If the athletic trainer determines that the camper will not be able to continue, then the parents will be informed immediately and unless decided otherwise, the player will be picked up from camp.
Where should I park for Registration?
For Summer Soccer Camp Registration, all Full Day Camp and Owlet families, we ask that you please park across the street from the Rice Intramural Fields at Visitor Parking. Complimentary parking will begin promptly at 7:45 am and end promptly at 8:30 am, any additional time will cost $1.00 an hour. The complimentary parking lot will be recognizeable by the upraised automated yellow arms in WEST LOT 2.
For our 2008 Summer due to significant construction on campus, our Police Department is requiring all camp families to enter campus through Entrance #8 and to exit through Entrance #18. Please see our campus map selection located on the menu on the left hand side of each page, for a more detailed view of where each are located.
For our Owl Elite Residential and Goalkeeper Academy, Parking and Check In will be at the actual Residential College on campus where we will be housed and where our meals will be. The specific Residential College will not be known until closer to camp. Currently we expect to be at Sid Richardson Residential College.
For the Winter Holiday Soccer Camp parking is at entrance #5 off of Main Street (please see the campus map) at our Rice Track and Soccer Stadium.
What are my options for meals at camp?
For our Full Day Camp weeks, all campers must bring their own lunches unless families purchase our meal plan which offers lunches Monday through Friday. Rice Owls Soccer Camps offer to provide lunches through a meal plan that can only be purchased ahead of time via On Line Registration or through completing our Summer Camp brochure, checking off the lunch selections, and mailing in the appropriate check amount. Our selection of local merchants for lunch has proved very popular over the past summers!
The purchase of lunches is easiest with your On Line Registration or with the completion and mail in of our camp brochure. If you decide to order lunches later on please contact me directly via e-mail at jlzoslow@rice.edu with your selections, I will then add them to your account and e-mail you a revised statement confirming your lunch orders. However, all lunches ordered after your initial registration must be ordered no later than one week prior to the beginning of your camp.
The specific merchants providing meals and the cost for the week are available through the On Line Registration Process or can be viewed in our Soccer Camp brochure. In the past, the week's meal plan has cost between $20-$28 depending upon the selection. The meal plan is separate from camp tuition, and you can purchase as many or as few days for the week as you would like.
The lunch selection menu and prices may be found in our Summer Soccer Camp brochure, and our brochure is available on our website by selecting our "Request a Brochure" option from the menu on the left hand side of each page, and then selecting "download a brochure."
For our Owlet Camp weeks, although snacks are available for purchase, with the 11:30 am dismissal, all Owlets depart camp before lunch time.
For our Owl Elite Residential Academy week, all meals are included in the price of tuition. However, commuters do not receive breakfast.
For our Winter Holiday Soccer Camp, because it is only 9-12 noon there are no meal options available.