Home ⟩ Swim ⟩ Nike ⟩ Michigan ⟩ Hillsdale ⟩ Camp

Questions? Call us! 1-800-645-3226

Nike Swim Camp at Hillsdale College

Nike Swim Camp at Hillsdale College 14 Reviews

5.00/5.

Average Rating 5.00 / 5 Stars

2024 DATES AND PRICES NOW AVAILABLE!

Watch Video
⟶

Located in southern Michigan about 90 miles west of Detroit, the Nike Swim Camp at Hillsdale College is designed to help competitive swimmers improve their stroke technique. Through elite technique instruction and challenging in-water training, Hillsdale College's Head Swim Coach, Kurt Kirner and his staff will take your performance to the next level.

The Hillsdale campus with it's state of the art facilities, comfortable residence halls and it's historic buildings makes it a perfect location for a Nike Swim Camp.

This camp is open to any and all entrants. For your safety and benefit, we recommend you have competitive swimming experience (e.g. U.S.S. age group, national qualifiers, high school swimmers, or summer league swimmers) and can swim at least 50 meters in all four competitive strokes: fly, back, breast and freestyle.

Highlights Include

Stroke technique refinement for competitive swimming
Videotaping in all four strokes
Low camper to staff ratio
Every camper receives a Nike Camp T-shirt and Nike Swim Cap
Every camper is eligible to receive merit-based prizes during camp
View More Details ⟩

Camp Director Kurt Kirner

Kurt Kirner is Hillsdale's Head Swim Coach and a longtime Nike Swim Camp director. Now entering his 16th season as the Hillsdale College women’s swimming and diving coach, Kurt Kirner has brought the program up to a new level of performance and competitiveness, both in the pool and in the classroom.
View Kurt Kirner's Bio & Swim Tips ⟩
One of the most detail-oriented coaches on the Hillsdale College staff, Kirner has refined a training program over his years in the sport that has had a direct effect on the performances of his athletes. His out-of-the-pool training methods and techniques have allowed nearly every member of the team to achieve new lifetime-best times in various events in their most recent seasons.

Under Kirner’s guidance, swimmers from the Charger program have had a regular presence at the NCAA Division II national meet. In 2009, one swimmer from all four classes - Anne Verhoef, Alicia LeDuc, Linda Okonkowski and Meredith Scott - each competed at the highest level of Division II swimming. It was Hillsdale’s most significant presence at the NCAA championships since it moved to Division II in 1998, and signified the upward direction of the program. In 2011, Okonkowski secured the program's first Division II All-American honor in nine years under Kirner's guidance and Rachel Kurtz (2013, 2014) and Anika Ellingson (2019) have also earned All-American honors for the Chargers in the last decade.

Since joining the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in the fall of 2017, Hillsdale also has achieved unprecedented team honors under Kirner. In their first two seasons in the new conference, the Chargers earned back-to-back runner-up finishes for the first time in program history. Over the past three seasons, Hillsdale has gone one step further, capturing the G-MAC/MEC title in 2019-20 for the program's first ever conference crown since the program was founded in the late 70s, and repeating as champions in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. During Hillsdale's five years in the G-MAC, Kirner has been named conference Coach of the Year four times, and coached three G-MAC Swimmers of the Year in Ellingson, Leah Tunney and Elise Mason, as well as four G-MAC Freshmen of the Year in Katherine Heeres, Tunney, Cecilia Guadalupi and Mason.

His teams have also annually appeared on the College Swimming Coaches Association of Ameria All-Academic lists for NCAA Division II. The team has earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better in each of the past 15 seasons. The CSCAA has recognized Hillsdale College's swimming program as Scholar All-American in each of Kirner's 15 seasons leading the program.

Kirner arrived at Hillsdale after spending 17 successful seasons at Lawrence University, located in Appleton, Wisconsin. Kirner, along with Hillsdale College men’s basketball coach John Tharp, both joined Hillsdale College from Lawrence, within one year of one another.

While coaching the Vikings, Kirner led both the men’s and women’s swimming teams, paving the way for 175 individual conference champions during his tenure. He was named his conference’s coach of the year in 2006-07 after leading the women’s team to a second-place finish. His women’s teams never finished lower than fourth place in the conference standings in his coaching career at Lawrence. He's a member of the Lawrence University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Kirner competed as a collegiate swimmer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee before beginning his coaching career in 1975. In addition to his coaching career at Lawrence, Kirner has coached many club swimming teams, and led the Schroeder Swim Team to two YMCA national championships.

Kirner is an assistant professor at Hillsdale College, and has taught Exercise Science, Kinesiology, and Dynamic Wellness in the past. He and his wife Susan are parents to two sons, Quinn and Clayton.
Swim Tips by Kurt Kirner:

Nike Swim Camp Tip: A Plan for Being Mentally Tough for the Big Meet

Nike Swim Camp Tip: Get Your Mind Set to Race

SECURE YOUR SPOT!

You can expect a high demand on these first-come-first-serve camper spots, so please be sure to register early. This summer, Hillsdale is offering one session of overnight with a extended day camp (8:00am-8:00pm) option for ages 10-18. Upon arrival at camp, campers are placed in groups with other swimmers having similar abilities and goals. Our camp staff will do their best to accommodate your needs, keeping in consideration your experience and desire to improve.

2024 OVERVIEW

Dates: July 7-11
Age Group: 10-18
Gender: Coed
Camp Type: Overnight, Extended Day (commuter)
Check-in: ALL CAMPERS check-in between 1:00-2:15pm on Sunday at the Roche Sports Complex front lobby.
Check-out: A closing ceremony will take place at 11:00am on Thursday. Extended Day Campers will be picked up immediately following the closing ceremony. Overnight campers check-out from the dorm immediately following.
Day Schedule: SUN 2:30PM-8:30PM, MON-WED 8AM-8PM, THURS 8AM-NOON **Times subject to change
Meals: All meals are provided for Overnight campers. Lunch and dinner are provided for all Extended Day (commuter) campers.
Program: The Stroke Technique program is designed to provide competitive swimmers with a better understanding of swimming fundamentals. Stroke refinement along with constructive feedback will be the focus of the camp and allows each participant to gain a greater knowledge of proper stroke mechanics and ways to improve themselves individually.

CAMP ADDRESS

Hillsdale College
George Roche Sports Complex
201 Oak Street
Hillsdale, MI 49242

Click Here for Directions

CAMP CHECK-IN

Sunday, July 7th

ALL CAMPERS check-in between 1:00-2:15pm on Sunday at the Roche Sports Complex front lobby. There will be a camp orientation meeting from 2:30-3:15pm which we highly encourage the parent or guardian to attend. After which the parents are welcome to depart.

CAMP CHECK-OUT

Thursday, July 11th

A closing ceremony will take place at 11:00am on Thursday. Extended Day Campers will be picked up immediately following the closing ceremony. Overnight campers check-out from the dorm immediately following.

2024 HOUSING

Dorm: Benzing (boys) & McIntyre (girls) Residence Halls
Number of Campers Per Room: 2 per room
Roommates: Rooms are assigned by age & roommate requests. Roommate requests must be mutual and received no later than 14 days before the start of camp. If you don't have a roommate request, you will be placed in a room with someone near your age. It will be a great opportunity to meet someone new!
Bathrooms: Shared
Linens: Not included. Bring linens or sleeping bag, pillow, pillowcase, and a towel.
Air Conditioning: YES - Dorm has A/C

SUPERVISION
The staff reside in the dormitories with the campers and participate in all activities. Drugs, alcohol and tobacco are strictly prohibited, and constitute, along with general misconduct, grounds for dismissal from camp without a refund.

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE FEE?

Instruction: Morning, afternoon, and evening training sessions
Overnight campers: Dormitory housing on campus and all meals are provided.
Day campers: Dinner provided on Sunday; Lunch is provided Monday and Tuesday.
Supervision: Staff members reside in campers’ quarters and participate in all activities.
Camp T-shirt & Prizes: Campers at multi-day camps will receive a Nike Swim Camps t-shirt and prizes.

INSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT & FACILITY

Ratio: 1:10 staff-to-camper ratio
Groupings: Campers are grouped by age, ability, and experience.
Equipment Needed: Please bring your water swimsuit, swim cap, googles and towel(s)
Facility: John "Jack" McAvoy Natatorium
Medical Protocol: Most camps have an athletic trainer on-site to help with illness or injury. In case of an emergency, campers will be transported to the nearest hospital.

PREPARE FOR CAMP: COMPLETE YOUR PRE-CAMP CHECKLIST

To view your customer account, complete your mandatory forms, pay balance dues, and review important camp information, visit Pre-Camp Checklist. All necessary camp information is on this page. If there are any imperative changes prior to camp start, registered campers will be notified via email and this webpage will be updated!

OVERNIGHT CAMPERS

Below is a suggested list of clothes, equipment, and personal items. US Sports Camps is NOT responsible for lost or stolen articles or money.

Checklist of things to bring:

Weather appropriate clothing for 4 nights/5 days
Dryland training Gear (running shoes, t-shirt, athletic shorts, sweatshirt)
Backpack
2-3 Swimsuits
Swim Cap(s)
Goggles
Towels
Water bottle
Sunscreen
Hat or Visor
Sunglasses
Sandals/flip flops
Spending Money ($25-50)
Linens (twin sheets & blankets or sleeping bag, pillow, pillowcase)
Pajamas
Bath Towel
Toiletries
Snorkel (optional)
No Fan Needed - dorm has AC
Signed Heath & Release forms and waivers (forms completed online do not need to be printed and turned in at camp)

EXTENDED DAY CAMPERS

Checklist of Things to Bring: We recommend that all Extended Day Campers bring a daily pack with the following items: swimsuit, swim cap, goggles, towel, sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, sandals, water bottle, dry land gear (running shoes, t-shirt, athletic shorts, sweatshirt) and any other appropriate clothing for that day’s activities which will be described to you on the first day of camp.

Camp Schedule & Meals:

Sunday: Extended Day Campers should arrive dressed and ready to swim. You will be assigned a counselor and given a complete schedule of all events during the week. Extended Day Campers stay until 8:30pm. Dinner is provided.
Monday-Wednesday: Extended Day Camper Hours – 8:00am-8:00pm. Lunch and dinner is provided.
Thursday: Extended Day Camper Hours - 8:00am-11:00am. Check-out is immediately after the camp concludes.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation is not provided. Campers are responsible for getting to and from camp on their own. There is no supervision before or after camp hours so please make arrangements to pick up your child on time.

COMPANY POLICIES

For information regarding our cancellation policy and all other company policies, please visit USSC Policies.

NIKE SWIM CAMP FAQ

For general questions about our swim camps please see our FAQ page.

Show Less See More Camp Details

OVERNIGHT CAMP AMENITIES

• 4 nights lodging • All meals
• Nightly recreational activities
• Nike Camp T-shirt & Nike Swim Cap

EXTENDED DAY CAMP AMENITIES

• Lunch & Dinner
• Nike Camp T-shirt & Nike Swim Cap
• Camp hours: SUN 2:30PM-8:30PM, MON-WED 8AM-8PM, THURS 8AM-NOON **Times subject to change

Discounts Available

TEAM DISCOUNT: If five or more campers register together, each camper is eligible for a $25 discount. Please have a team contact reach out directly to the USSC office at 1-800-645-3226 to receive a discount code to identify your group. Campers may then register through the website at their convenience and apply the coupon code during check-out.

Sample Daily Schedule

7:00 am Drill Session 1 (pool)
8:30 am Breakfast
9:00 am Stroke Review (auditorium)
9:30 am Underwater Videotaping (pool)
10:00 am Start and Turn work (pool)
11:00 am Team building exercise (water polo)
11:45 am Campers/Staff walk to lunch together
12:30 pm Mental Toughness Session
1:15 pm Workout time (pool)
2:30 pm Videotape Review with coaches
3:15 pm Team building exercise (land based activity)
4:00 pm Organized Free Time
5:00 pm Dinner
5:45 pm Sports Nutrition Discussion
6:30 pm Drill Session 2 (pool)
8:30 pm Residence Hall
10:00 pm Lights out!

Hillsdale Facility Pic

Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College is located in southern-central Michigan, 90 miles west of Detroit. Campers train daily in the John "Jack" McAvoy Natatorium, home of the Chargers Swimming and Diving Team. The pool is a 6-lane, 25-yard x 25-meter race course.

How are swimmers grouped at camp?

Upon arrival at Hillsdale, campers are placed in groups with other swimmers having similar abilities and goals. Our camp staff will do their best to accommodate your needs, keeping in consideration your experience and desire to improve.

Show Less See More Questions & Answers

Overall Average Rating 5.00 / 5 Stars

- 5/5.
July 15, 2023: Meeting other swimmers and former swimmers (coaches/assistant coaches) and hearing/learning various skills/experiences.

— Anonymous
- 5/5.
July 14, 2023: The team bonding experiences my son had called Olympic Game events like waterpolo, dodgeball, and capture the flag

— Anonymous
- 5/5.
July 15, 2022: My daughter got the opportunity to listen and learn from multiple college coaches and their styles.

— Anonymous

Show Less See more Reviews

- 5/5.
July 14, 2023: The friends she met while there and the coaches were amazing.

— Anonymous
- 5/5.
July 15, 2022: Skills learned, friendships, learned independence for my son.

— Anonymous
- 5/5.
July 14, 2023: Awesome Camp Counselor helping me improve my breaststroke

— Anonymous
- 5/5.
July 14, 2023: The camp seemed to reignite her passion for swimming

— Anonymous
- 5/5.
July 14, 2023: The team olympic events specifically waterpolo.

— Anonymous
- 5/5.
July 16, 2023: Overall it was all a great experience for her.

— Anonymous
- 5/5.
July 25, 2023: Technique improvement, video review of strokes

— Anonymous
- 5/5.
July 15, 2023: She like the different techniques

— Anonymous
- 5/5.
July 14, 2023: fun, improved skills

— Anonymous
- 5/5.
July 14, 2023: Learning experience

— Anonymous
- 5/5.
He loves the entire experience

— Anonymous

SECURE YOUR SPOT – CAMPS SELL OUT!

Last year over 650 Sports Camps sold out, leaving 7,000+ campers on the waitlist. Due to high demand, early registration for our first-come-first-serve camps is strongly recommended.

Programs: Complete Stroke Technique

Age Group: 10 - 18

Gender: Co-Ed

Camp starts Sunday afternoon and concludes Thursday before noon.

Overnight $825.00 USD

Availability: Yes

Extended 8:00AM-8:00PM $725.00 USD