Complete Guide
Types of Youth Sports Summer Camps on Long Island
Day camps with sports focus: Full-day programs (typically 9am–3pm or 9am–4pm) that combine sports instruction with camp activities. Perfect for working parents. Costs: $300–$600/week.
Single-sport skills camps: Half-day (typically 9am–12pm or 9am–1pm) focused intensively on one sport. Lacrosse, baseball, and soccer have the most options on LI. Cost: $150–$350/week.
College/university hosted camps: Stony Brook, LIU, Adelphi, and Molloy all run summer sports camps using college facilities and coaches. High quality instruction at modest prices.
Elite club team camps: Travel programs like Team 91 (lacrosse), BEAST LI (baseball), and various soccer clubs run competitive summer training camps for their players and open tryout camps.
Multi-sport camps: Programs like i9 Sports, Sports Authority Camps, and local PAL summer programs offer multi-sport exposure for younger kids (ages 5–10) who haven't chosen a sport yet.
Long Island Sports Summer Camp Registration — When to Book
Top camps fill in February–March for summer. If you wait until May or June, popular programs will be full.
Early bird discounts: Many LI sports camps offer 10–20% discounts for registrations before March 1.
Sibling discounts: Common — ask explicitly when registering. Many camps offer 10% off for second child.
Financial assistance: Some PAL programs and town-sponsored camps offer subsidized rates for qualifying families. Contact Nassau or Suffolk PAL directly.
Sports Summer Camps by Sport on Long Island
Soccer camps: LIJSL clubs, Soccer Stars, and individual travel clubs all run summer soccer camps. Week-long day camps average $300–$500.
Lacrosse camps: The most popular summer camp sport on LI. Team 91, Express Lacrosse, FLG, and many others run week-long skills camps. Cost: $350–$600/week.
Baseball camps: Baseball Heaven (Yaphank), LI Elite Baseball, and dozens of travel clubs run summer baseball camps. Cost: $250–$500/week.
Basketball camps: LuHi Basketball Academy, church-hosted camps, and AAU programs run summer basketball camps. Cost: $200–$400/week.
Tennis camps: Most racquet clubs and tennis centers on LI run summer camps for all ages. Half-day options abundant.
Multi-sport: i9 Sports and town park programs run excellent multi-sport summer programs for ages 4–10 at $150–$300/week.
What to Look for in a Sports Summer Camp
Coach-to-player ratio: Ideal is 1:6 to 1:10. Ask explicitly before registering.
Age-appropriate groupings: Good camps group by age and skill level, not just age. Ask how they handle skill differences within an age group.
Certified coaching: Camps run by college coaches or former pro players are worth a premium. Camps run by teenagers-as-counselors with no oversight are not.
Shade and hydration: LI summers are hot. Ask about shade availability, hydration breaks, and sunscreen policy before booking outdoor programs.