Montclair State Montclair, New Jersey
Work on every facet of the game - hitting, fielding, base running, team play and more at the NIKE Softball Camp with the New Jersey Jackals. Our goals is that your performance as an overall player will improve, along with your self-confidence but it is up to each player to take what they have learned and apply it to gametime situations.
Directing the NIKE Softball Camp at Yogi Berra Stadium is Head Jackals Coach, Joe Calfapietra. The longest-tenured manager in the Can-Am League, 2013 marks Joe’s 11th season at the Jackals’ helm.
Highlights Include
- 8:1 camper to instructor ratio
- Coaching from professional directors and staff
- Daily emphasis on fundamental development, team play and more
- Official NIKE Camp T-Shirt
- Great NIKE Prizes
- NIKE Softball Camp Graduation Certificate
Campers attending the NIKE Softball Camp at Montclair State will train at Yogi Berra Stadium. When Yogi Berra Stadium opened in the spring of 1998, baseball fans in New Jersey gained access to one of the new jewels of minor league baseball facilities in the country. Yogi Berra Stadium is home to the New Jersey Jackals, who have won four league championships in the past eleven seasons. The stadium offers seating of 3,784, plus 2,000 lawn seats, and is the home to the Yogi Berra Museum and Education Center.
Camp Director
Joe Calfapietra
In 2009, Calfapietra was named the Can-Am League Manager of the Year after guiding the Jackals to the league’s first-half title and a playoff appearance. He also garnered Manager of the Year honors in 2004 when he led the Jackals to a Northeast League championship.
Calfapietra, 39, began his coaching career with the Northern League’s Duluth-Superior Dukes in 1994 before spending the 1995 and 1996 seasons with the Aberdeen Pheasants of the Prairie League.
In 1997, Calfapietra joined manager Ed Ott’s coaching staff with the Allentown Ambassadors as Director of Baseball Operations. Calfapietra was named the Ambassadors manager in 2000 at the age of 29, making him the youngest manager in Northern League history. After posting an 85-90 managerial record in two seasons with the Ambassadors, Calfapietra left Allentown after five years to guide the expansion Gary SouthShore RailCats in their inaugural season in 2002. Calfapietra led Gary, which played its entire schedule on the road while waiting for its ballpark to be constructed, to a 35-55 team record and was named the Northern League Manager of the Year.
Calfapietra joined the Jackals in 2003 and earned his second Manager of the Year award in 2004 when he guided New Jersey past the North Shore Spirit for the Northeast League title.
Jim Whalen
For the 14th summer, Jim Whalen will return as on field director. A pitcher at the college level, Jim is currently the coach at Essex High School during the year. Jim was a collegiate pitcher at Montclair State University where he was a member of the 2000 Division 3 National Championship team.
Sample Daily Schedule
- 8:45 a.m. Arrival
- 9:00 a.m. Stretching, Warm Up, Throw
- 9:30 a.m. Defensive Skills - Video Taping
- 10:30 a.m. Offensive Skills - Video Taping
- 11:30 a.m. Snack Break
- 12:00 p.m. Games - Video Review
- 1:00 p.m. Campers Depart
The environment, staff and atmosphere at the Nike camp was so fun, inviting and wonderful
"My daughter went to 5 different week long sports related camps this summer and you were in the top 2! The environment, staff and atmosphere at the Nike camp was so much fun, inviting and wonderful and she had a fabulous time. Hopefully you have more camp sessions next summer!
Taught My Daughter More Softball & Being A Young Lady
"I cannot put into words the experience my daughter gained from going to the camp. She not only learned skills in softball but how to be a better young lady. The morals and values the staff brought to the camp were extraordinary. We looked at sending her to another camp and decided on the NIKE Camp for convenience and I am so glad we did. I will highly recommend this camp to anyone who is interested in gaining skills and personal growth. We look forward to next year!!"
Day Camper
Thanks for another great experience
"The director and his staff were very positive and seemed to make all the girls love to play. This is our second time doing the camp and I would do it again. Thanks for another great experience and great memories."