Ever since 1996, BSM has held a variety of summer camps to help kids in grades 3-12 from around the Twin Cities connect with the BSM community. There is an expansive amount of camps going on this summer––48 to be exact.

BSM summer camps consist of many different activities and grab kids with common interests. “[There are] a dozen engineering ones, French camp, drama camp, and a variety of sports camps, from basketball to football to baseball, which are typically for younger kids,” Athletic Director Mr. Jerry Pettinger said.

Not only does BSM have sports camps and other club camps, but they also have art classes, virtual activity camps and a debate camp.

Although many student athletes choose to pay for private trainers, there can be alternatives, like training with a school and other people who play the sport. “Pay a lot less and probably better instructions staying with us,” Pettinger said.

Most BSM summer camps range in price depending on the length and specialty. “[Participants] have to pay expenses, have to pay counselors, awards and supplies, ice time if it’s hockey,” Pettinger said.

One of BSM’s most popular summer camps is the engineering camp, which is in partnership with Minneapolis Engineering. BSM also dives into engineering, which could be computer engineering and robots and drones. “Minneapolis engineering for kids is our partner,” Pettinger said.

BSM summer camps are not only run by BSM staff and coaches, but with Minneapolis aquatics and engineering.

As BSM summer camps keep going, the BSM community can grow while these camps are happening, “[They] provide a good opportunity to get kids in the community exposure to BSM,” Pettinger said.

Anyone is welcome to attend the BSM summer camps, and prospective students can look into what BSM has to offer. “[It’s a] good opportunity for new kids to BSM, whether you are a new dancer, hockey player or a seventh grader or a freshman or a sophomore even,” Pettinger said.

BSM summer camps aren’t solely inclusive towards high schoolers or students at BSM, but they also provide camps for younger children grades 3-8.

As some people may know, BSM summer camps still went on last year with COVID going on, but they had to cut some camps down, like the ones with the younger kids. “We didn’t know how a third grader would keep their masks on and how it was gonna work,” Pettinger said.

During COVID, BSM summer camps still had people coming and a good number of coaches there to help kids out. “[We] still had 41 coaches and over 600 athletes doing stuff last summer.” Pettinger said.