August 29, 2011
NBC Camps Celebrates 40 Years of Excellence
NBC Camps celebrate 50 years this summer in one of the toughest business categories—summer camps. Running a business in today’s economy is challenging and summer camps are no exception. “There were 22 basketball camps starting in the area when I started NBC Camps,” said NBC Camps Founder and President, Fred Crowell. “If I had known how competitive and difficult the camp market could be I don’t know if I would have had the courage to try. Fortunately, a focus on loving and serving young people has made all the difference.” After starting with 108 campers in Cusick, Washington, NBC Camps has grown to be the largest overnight basketball and volleyball camp program in the world located in 50 cities and four countries including the United States, Canada, the UK and Italy. “I’ve always admired the underdog,” says Crowell. “Even without focusing on pro athletes to endorse us, a focus on the total athlete and the total person has resulted in many NBC Camps athletes making it to the pro level internationally and in the NBA and WNBA. Beyond this, former NBC Camps athletes have succeeded at Harvard, Stanford, universities throughout the U.S., and in leadership positions in a beautiful array of work arenas such as politics, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Amazon.com, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, among other fields.”
Competing in a saturated market with many camp options and cheaper products available has been a challenge welcomed by the NBC Staff. “Our mission is to help every camper walk away a better athlete and a better person,” says Crowell. “We practice servant-leadership. We hope to lead in such a way those around us become stronger leaders. One of my greatest joys is to see student-athletes coming up through our program and moving on to be top leaders in their respective fields. It begins with the willingness to serve their organizations with an attitude of gratitude, a commitment to exceeding expectations, and the discipline to create a climate of hospitality, peace and professional excellence.”
“It is gratifying to read our surveys each year and see all the hard work pay off,” says NBC Vice President Jennifer Ferch. “The following quote was one of my favorite reviews of the summer because it shows young student-athletes can tell when people really care about them and sincerely want them to get better. It shows hard work and love for what you do will always win out. This quote was from a survey from our camp in Napa Valley, California:”
My boys completed a high-profile basketball camp last summer that featured an NBA legend. The camp was more expensive and had the pro there every night. This would be pretty high up on a 10 and 11 year olds list. When asked which camp they liked better it was NBC Camps! When asked which camp was harder it was NBC. When asked which camp they learned more at it was NBC Camps. NBC taught them character building of an athlete and how important a positive attitude is and how to respect others. I am so impressed with this camp. I felt very safe with my kids at NBC Camps. Thank you for this experience for my boys.
-Dr. Ali and Sally Vaziri
NBC Camps, headquartered in Spokane, Washington, hires around six hundred coaches and staff during the camp season for more information visit www.nbccamps.com. For reviews about NBC Camps please visit Nike Sports Camps at www.ussportscamps.com.
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Media Contact
John Fazio, NBC Camps
1-800-406-3925
509-466-4690