Nike Running Camps — Local services in San Rafael

July 12, 2019 I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the entire Clark Family and every single person involved with the Nike Running Camp at Pennington, NJ for their outstanding work during the July 7th to July 11th 2019 track and field camp session. Sophia Zalipsky (13), and her sisters Melania (12) and Victoria (11) have been attending various camps in several different states since the age of 5. I have to say, that our experience this past week at the Nike Running Camp in Pennington NJ blew us all away!!! As a parent, I was immediately taken aback at how fast, well-organized and efficient the entire on-site check-in, registration, and housing drop-off process went for Sophia. Before we knew it, Sophia had her camp ID badge, her room key and was all settled in ready to head over to the auditorium for the camper’s orientation at 3pm. The rest of us were headed back home. Nothing ‘took forever’ and nothing was dragged out. Incredibly efficient! Over the next several days, I heard the transformation of my child in her voice and in the substance of her conversations. Sophia would tell me how much she had already done by 8:00 am every morning. She’d then excitedly run down the list every evening: how long she ran; what new techniques and exercises she learned; what event-related accomplishments she made; and what personal goals she had met. She really looked forward to tackling the myriad of challenging and exciting activities on her agenda every day. Sophia felt totally challenged, motivated and accomplished. She felt as though all of her hard work mattered to the camp counselors, to the event organizers and to the entire Clark family. She felt recognized and saw real results with every passing day. What impacted Sophia most however, were the daily motivational presentations and speakers. Sophia was in awe of their stories, their personal triumphs and trials, their individual challenges and their genuine dedication to encourage and motivate the young campers to ‘never give up’, ‘turn pressure into positive power’ and to ‘get right back up and move forward’. The first thing Sophia did when she came home was to sit me down and show me some of the pictures and video presentations she saw. I can’t even begin to tell you how much these presentations and speakers meant to Sophia … how much they moved her and positively impacted her whole person! She was especially moved by the presentation of the young girl from Uganda whose love for running was embraced and supported by the Clark family. She was equally moved by the motivational speech given by Olympic champion, DeeDee Trotter. By sharing her story and letting the young campers celebrate in her victory (i.e. by letting them see and hold her Olympic medals) DeeDee Trotter is truly changing lives – it speaks volumes of the person she was and remains to this day. Indeed these medals are more powerful traveling and inspiring young people vs collecting dust behind closed glass doors. What an amazing moment this must have been for all of the campers. Sophia was so inspired by everything she learned at this camp that she immediately wanted to share these positive aspects, building blocks and motivational speeches with her younger sisters. Sophia will definitely be coming back next year; and, Melania and Victoria will be joining her for sure. To the Clark Family: Thank you for all of your hard work, oversight, dedication and meticulous organization. You truly put together an efficient and effective running camp that impacts the whole runner – from the inside...

My daughter recently attended the track and field camp in Boise, and unfortunately, we were left pretty disappointed considering the cost. I was hoping she’d get help in specific areas she’s been working on, but most of the camp was spent on warm-ups and stretching—about two and a half days of it. There was only one day where they brought out blocks and worked on block starts and hurdles.

While she was honored to receive a Coach’s Award, the “prize” was just a printed certificate on regular paper—not even cardstock to keep it nice. For what we paid, I expected a little more in terms of instruction and even the awards—maybe a t-shirt, hoodie, or backpack to make it feel more meaningful. We’ve attended other camps for a fraction of the price that offered much more value. Just...

The Clark Family Camp at Pennington, NJ AMAZING!

My son, Bobby, attended Nike’s Clark Family running camp in “The only bad thing about the camp was that it had to end!. He was a little nervous going off to camp not knowing a single person that was going to be there. The Clark Family along with their other instructors made him feel welcome immediately. The camp was well run, with a daily routine. I was told that he had a lot of fun, learned a lot, and worked hard. Bobby said “Camp was Amazing, the only bad thing about it was that it had to end!” He’s already talking about attending next years camp and which of his new friends he might be rooming with. A big Thank you to the Clark family and other instructors for all you did this past week to help my son have an...