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[title]Alex Brown Football Camp Top-notch high-school and college coaches, along with former Bears players, lead campers through daily practices (kids can expect to snag some autographs!). Benedictine University, 5700 College Rd, Lisle (301-575-9400, footballcamps.com). Jun 29–Jul 2. Overnight campers $760, commuters $680. Ages 7–18.
AYSO Camps This nonprofit, volunteer organization’s focus is on character development—but you can bet that soccer skills are part of the deal. Visit the national site at AYSO.org to find your region and details on the half- and full-day summer programs and prices (773-929-5425, ayso418.org). Ages 4–18.
Chicago Athletic Club Kids The day starts off with an indoor picnic and then exercise gets creative: Campers indulge in swimming, movement and climbing classes, arts and crafts, and story time. 1019 W Diversey Pkwy (773-529-2022, chicagoathleticclubs.com). Jul 22–Aug 30. $65–$85 per day. Ages 3–12.
Chicago Bears Youth Football Camps Your Jay Cutler-in-training learns new skills and gains confidence under the instruction of professional, college and high-school football coaches at this non-contact, station-based training camp. Drills teach kids the fundamentals for all positions. Locations throughout the city (312-226-7776, bearscamps.com). Jun 10–Jul 26. One-week session $349–$399. Ages 6–14.
Chicago Bulls Basketball Camp Little ballers can shoot free throws all day, sprint up and down the driveway and jump rope until their quads burn. But to take it to the next level, they need to learn new skills and practice the fundamentals with talented coaches. Locations throughout the city (bullssoxacademy.com). Dates vary by location. $199, Bulls/Sox combo $375. Ages 6–12.
Chicago White Sox Camp Baseball Campers work on hitting, throwing, fielding, bunting and any other baseball-ish verb you can think of as they train with professional coaches. Locations throughout the city, (bullsoxacademy.com). Dates vary by location. $179–$199, Bulls/Sox combo $375. Ages 5–12.
Chicago Youth Rowing Camps Ready, set, row! The Chicago Rowing Foundation teaches teens how to get their row on. 1586 N Kingsbury St (312-929-2776, lincolnparkrowing.com). Dates TBD. Prices vary. Ages 12–17.
Doug Bruno Basketball Camp for Girls A slam-dunk if your daughter loves basketball, Bruno’s camps focus on hard work, fun, friendship and discipline. North Central College, 30 N Brainard St, Naperville (773-281-6057, brunoball.org). Jun 20–23, 24–26 (shooting), 27–30, Jul 30–Aug 2, 3–6 (shooting), 7–10. Fundamental camps $395, shooting camps $355. Ages 7–18.
Game On! Sports Camps 4 Girls With camps ranging from volleyball to horseback riding to lacrosse, Game On! has a sport for every girl. Whether she’s never touched a ball before or is the all-star of her travel team, your daughter will improve athletic skills, build friendships and gain confidence. Locations in Chicago and Lake Forest (847-229-9959, gameonsportscamp.com). Jul 1–Aug 9. Three- to eight-week programs starting at $1,650. Preschool to 10th grade.
GameBreaker Lacrosse Camp Instructors help campers improve their offense, defense, shooting and stick skills through individual and group training. Locations in Lake Forest (800-944-7112, laxcamps.com) Boys Jul 22–25; girls Jul 9–12. Day camp $445–$465, overnight camp $555–$565. Ages 8–18.
Girls in the Game: Sports and Leadership Summer Camp With 98% of campers receiving a scholarship and buses provided from the North, West and South Sides of the city, this girl-power sports and fitness camp makes it easy for young women to experience everything from swimming and tennis to yoga and cricket. Union Park, 1501 W Randolph St (312-674-0000, girlsinthegame.org). Jul 8–Aug 9. $1,000 per session. Ages 7–13.
HealthKick Kung Fu Summer Camp For Kids Introduce your child to the ancient martial art of Shaolin kung fu (without having to resort to the Wu-Tang Clan). The exercises provide a full-body workout and nurture mental discipline. The camp places an emphasis on avoiding physical confrontations. In nice weather, sessions are held in Lincoln Park. 1327 N Larrabee St (773-879-0063, healthkickkungfu.com). Jun 17–Aug 16. Per week $150–$225, nine weeks $1,215–$1,575, drop in $45. Ages 5–12.
Hidden Knoll Farm Summer Camp Equestrian delights are front and center on these green grounds, about an hour north of Chicago. Each day of camp includes horse instruction, lessons in care and grooming of the animals and their tools, an education in horse anatomy and riding disciplines, and—of course—a horse ride. 41900 N Delany Rd, Wadsworth (847-249-9790, hiddenknollfarm.com). Dates and prices TBD. Ages 5–14.
Kick It Right This camp has kiddos dribbling, shooting and passing with experienced instructors. Children learn to kick it right—and left—as they work on footwork, ball control and offense and defense skills. Chicago Park District Fields, Lake Shore Dr and Diversey Ave (312-622-1638, kickitright.com). 3 weekly sessions from Jun 18–Aug 17. $75. Ages 6–16.
Lil’ Kickers: Soccer for Kids Register your own lil’ kicker for a half-day camp where seasoned coaches school kiddos in the basics via soccer activities, games and more. Locations, dates and prices vary (877-545-5457, lilkickers.com). Ages 1–9.
Nike Sports Camps Leave it to the folks behind the iconic swoosh to serve up dozens of overnight sports camps for boys and girls. Just a smattering: There’s soccer camp at Elmhurst College, tennis camp in Kenosha and golf camp at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Locations, dates and prices vary (ussportscamps.com). Ages 1–9.
Offense-Defense Football Camp Players participate in one-on-one drills with NFL pro players. Don’t worry: Not head-to-head. North Central College, 30 N Brainard St, Naperville (843-903-1888, o-d.com/camps). Jun 16–19. Day camp starts at $495, overnight camp $845. Ages 7 –18.
Play by Play Sports Broadcasting Camp Camp breaks into two groups by age and rotates between activities such as making sports-anchor tapes and sports talk-radio shows in a studio, and reporting from stadiums. Holiday Inn, 5300 W Touhy Ave, Skokie (800-319-0884, playbyplaycamps.com). Jul 8–12. Day camp $550, overnight camp $1,175. Ages 10–18.
RetroActive Sports Camps Play old-school games such as dodgeball, punchball, sputnik, capture the flag, team handball and wiffleball, just to name a few. Wait, can we go to this, too? Menomonee Club, Drucker Center, 1535 N Dayton St (312-664-4631, menomeeclub.org). Jun 10–Aug 30. $310–$355. Ages 7–12.
University of Chicago Super Summer Sports Camp Campers use snazzy campus facilities, such as Stagg Field, while reveling in sports like soccer, volleyball, archery and more. 5530 S Ellis Ave (773-702-9065, athletics.uchicago.edu). Jun 17–Aug 9. $200–$500 per week. Kindergarten to 8th grade.
Wildcat Sports Camp Northwestern’s Athletics Department keeps little Wildcats active and happy with soccer, canoeing, racquetball, archery and other sports. Fridays are beach days! 2311 Campus Dr, Evanston (847-491-7314, fitrec.northwestern.edu). Jun 17–Jul 15. $1,700 per three-week session. Grades 1 to 5.
Windy City Fieldhouse Choose a half- or full-day multisport extravaganza (40 classes on offer!) with a focus on team-building skills. Locations vary (773-486-7423, windycityfieldhouse.com). Jun 3–Aug 23. $185–$230. Ages 2–16.