As the season winds down, I'm already looking forward to the college officiating camps. I've heard some horror stories about various camps though, and heard that some practically offer no instruction and only take your money to allow you to work a game or two.

Any good recommendations for some? I'm willing to travel for a great men's or women's camp. Thanks,

http://www.vspn.com/MIBO/

This is a link to information on Dave Vendrely's camp in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. He conducts three but the April camp has the best basketball competition I have ever seen in a camp and I have been to 15 in the last 4 summers. The teams are high school senior all star teams from all over the nation. Last years teams included two players projected as NBA picks and several future D1 players. The camp is designed for Women's College Mechanics but the play is all guys.

I've really enjoyed JB Caldwell's camp at Embry Riddle in Daytona Florida. Usually ran in July, I've gone twice. It's not a get picked up camp but it's a great camp to learn 3-man or hone your skills. Uses high school varsity boys. Runs in July.

There is another camp in the Cincinnati Ohio / Northern Kentucky area at Northern Kentucky Univ. that runs in June. Uses high school boys Varsity. If you are a SW Ohio official trying to move up, this is a good camp as several Cincinnati area assignors hit this camp.

E-mail me on these, I have contact info.

[email protected]

Plus, you know, it's held in Daytona in the middle of July . . .

Embry Riddle has a very nice a/c facility w/ 3 courts.

For the Caldwell camp, I should throw in a disclaimer - while ERAU does have a very nice facility, some of the games are held off-site. If you're coming in from out of town, you're going to want to have access to transportation or a very friendly personality to get rides with other people (never been a problem for me). The quality of the off-campus sites does range quite a bit (although everything seems a/c'ed, and there was no place in which I wouldn't officiate).

I attended U.S.A. camp in Arkansas under Dale Kelly, good camp for all conferences if you are wanting to move up, good competition there too...got invited to invitational only Big 10 camp in chicago after that week!!!

The best camp(s) I've been to was the Nike camp and the PAC-10 camp. Both free plus per diem with some D1 officials (guys you see on TV all the time plus two NBA officials and the NBA supervisor) evaluating. JC players or the top HS players (they receive individual invitations as well) playing the games.

Jritchie, how was the Big 10 camp?

camp was great...we were invited as a crew and we got to call some great games in chicago...they were having a little tourney there that had some great college players and kind of like nba tryout teams... got some great feedback, but didn't get on the list this year, but had a great camp and learned a lot of stuff needed to continue to move up... Chicago was fun...

Do you have any info (dates/contacts etc.) on the Dale Kelly camp in AR?

thanks.