At BSA, we live by this adage. Seeking and responding to feedback is one way to ensure continuous improvement. This is pattern is vital to developing as an athlete as well as an organization. Our most valued source for identifying areas of improvement are parent and camper surveys.  After each session we survey every camper.  We also survey parents at summer’s end.  Among other things, the surveys ask how we can improve BSA.  We review and tabulate every survey response. We make immediate improvements where appropriate, and, when requested changes require a longer lead-time, we implement changes for the following summer.

Highlighted below is some of the constructive feedback we received last summer, and the changes we will be implementing for summer 2017 in direct response to that feedback.

You said:Cabin Life – “Add air conditioning.” “Make the cabins cooler.”

These were among the most frequent camper comments, particularly by fourth and fifth session campers who experienced a heat wave.

What we’re doing:

While air conditioning is not particularly “campy,” we have concluded that it is necessary. Next summer, each cabin will have an air conditioning unit, helping ensure that all campers are rested, comfortable and thus better able to get the most out of their soccer, elective and cabin experiences.

You said: Soccer Training – “More scrimmages, games, tournaments”  “More work on individual skills – e.g. shooting, 1 v. 1, dribbling, passing, foot skills.”

What we’re doing:

We have developed a creative approach to address this seemingly contradictory feedback– an elective soccer session for campers 12 and older.  During this new session, campers will be able to choose among 5–7 training activities.  One will be a scrimmaging station and the rest will be specialized stations devoted to specific skills.  

You said: Electives – “Offer more elective choices, more elective variety, more elective spots, fairer elective signups.”

We always rotate elective choices among cabins to give every camper the chance to pick first and secure a spot in their favorite electives. Of course, campers don’t always see the process as fair, and, occasionally, we make an error in the rotations.

What we’re doing:

Next summer, we will more clearly explain the elective selection process on opening day and throughout the session. We are adding capacity to our most popular electives – waterfront, standup paddle boarding and cooking– and splitting certain elective offerings to accommodate more campers. For example, arts & crafts will offer separate projects within a single elective period– one for older campers and one for younger campers.  We will also promise that every camper will be able to participate in her top 3 elective choices at least once unless bad weather makes this impossible.

You said: Arrival At Camp – “Speed up the camper arrival and check in process.”

The biggest bottleneck on opening day – especially during our first and second sessions – was the health screening line and, in particular, the lice check.

What we’re doing:

The lice check is a necessity, but we will now allow campers to bypass this check at camp by arranging for a pre-camp lice screening by a licensed provider.  More information about the timing and required documentation will be included in our parent handbook.

You said:“I’m sad that I’m too old to return to BSA.”   

Many of our oldest campers, those completing 9th and 10th grades, told us how disappointed they are that they will be too old to attend camp next summer.

What we’re doing:

For 2017, BSA will offer a “Varsity” program.  The program will be open to rising 9th – 12th graders and will be geared specifically to helping girls succeed in their high school Varsity and JV tryouts.  Through the years, we’ve heard success stories from girls who were anxious about making their team, and, after a session at BSA, not only earned a spot but also played a leading role on the team.  We are excited that all of our high school aged campers will now have this opportunity.

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