About
SPORTS Camps offers weekend overnight camps where campers take part in activities such as basketball, floor hockey, soccer, volleyball, swimming, crafts, relaxation, hikes in the mountains, bocce, ga-ga, human foosball, a talent show, dance, climbing tower, bouldering wall, candle making, paintball slingshots, archery, frisbee golf, zipline, and time at the pool, waterslide, and slip n' slide. Campers also spend time hiking, visiting a nature center, and playing a variety of sports. Campers spend 2 nights in cabins or group cabins for each SPORTS Camp session and eat camp meals under the guidance of camp counselors and chaperones.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Weekend overnight camps with 2-night sessions in cabins or group cabins
• Price: 2026 Spring SPORTS Camp #1 at Buckhorn Camp in Idyllwild: Cost $400 Registration Fee, $100 Transportation Fee, $200 Supplemental Staffing Fee; $375 Early Bird Special if Camp Registration Form & Fee are turned in by April 15 with $100 non-refundable advance deposit; Partial Scholarship available. 2025 Spring SPORTS Camp at Camp Marston in Julian: Cost $350 Registration Fee, $75 Transportation Fee, $150 Supplemental Staffing Fee; $100 advance deposit will guarantee a spot; Family Rate Special available (family provides 1 chaperone free - $310 per camper for 2 family members, $300 per camper for 3 or more members); Partial Scholarship available. 2025 Summer SPORTS Camp at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center: Cost $350 Registration Fee, $75 Transportation Fee, $150 Supplemental Staffing Fee; $325 Early Bird Special if Camp Registration Form & Fee are turned in by July 1 with $100 non-refundable advance deposit; Partial Scholarship available.
SPORTS Camps are part of SPORTS for Exceptional Athletes, a San Diego-based sports program serving athletes with developmental disabilities ages 5 through adult and offering over 20 sports in 4 sports seasons. SPORTS for Exceptional Athletes is a volunteer-based, community-wide program that works closely with community partners including San Diego Park & Recreation Department – Therapeutic Recreation Services, The Arc of San Diego, The Salvation Army Kroc Center, American Youth Soccer Organization, Down Syndrome Association San Diego, San Diego Police Officer's Association, and Limitless Adventures, and San Diego Parks & Recreation – Therapeutic Recreation Services co-sponsors activities at San Diego City Facilities so that S4EA athletes and volunteers also need to register with SDP&R-TRS. The purpose of SPORTS for Exceptional Athletes is to create enhanced opportunities for people with and without disabilities to interact and form lasting bonds of friendship through shared sports and recreational activities in their community.
Campers spend 2 nights in cabins or group cabins and eat camp meals provided from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch or Sunday lunch snack, and most cabins at Buckhorn Camp do not have bathrooms, with bathrooms nearby. Families may share a cabin with other families at Buckhorn Camp, and because the camps are hilly, campers using a wheelchair may be limited to certain activities, though dining halls and some cabins and many activities are accessible. For safety reasons, temperatures are taken at home before leaving for camp and upon arrival, and if a camper arrives with a fever, they will be sent home, and activities will be spread out more and held outdoors for safety at some camps. Campers may be brought directly to camp locations from San Diego with approximate drive times of about 2 hours and 15 minutes to Idyllwild, a little over 1 hour to Julian, and about 45 minutes to Pine Valley.
SPORTS for Exceptional Athletes was founded 18 years ago (relative to the time of the statement). Walter Jackson, Executive Director, has over 50 years of experience working in sports programs for persons with developmental disabilities, and Clara Downes, Associate Director, has over 50 years of experience working with persons with developmental disabilities. The leadership team includes Walter Jackson (Executive Director), Clara Downes (Associate Director), and the S4EA Board of Directors 2025–26: President - Ron Choularton; Vice President - Kathy Nelson; Treasurer - Skip Covell; Secretary - Diana Rathbun; At-Large - Nicole Alvarez; Members–At–Large: Joe Alvarez-Salas, Kelly Choularton, Isaac Hernandez, Carissa Nelson Zink, Matthew Rathbun, Mia Ryans, Corie Sonnenberg, and Shay Thomas; and Graphic Designer - Mary E. Cunningham. The S4EA Athlete Council 2025–2026 includes President - Joe Alvarez-Salas; Vice President - Evan Perrero; Treasurer - Rachel Goldbaum; Secretary - Matthew Rathbun; and Sergeant–At–Arms - Michael Stein.
S4EA has received Vendor Approval from San Diego Regional Center for SPORTS Camps (PQ8659). Volunteers are needed as coaches, meet volunteers, and for various other jobs such as office projects and special events.
Last updated March 26, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Weekend overnight camps with 2-night sessions in cabins or group cabins
• Price: 2026 Spring SPORTS Camp #1 at Buckhorn Camp in Idyllwild: Cost $400 Registration Fee, $100 Transportation Fee, $200 Supplemental Staffing Fee; $375 Early Bird Special if Camp Registration Form & Fee are turned in by April 15 with $100 non-refundable advance deposit; Partial Scholarship available. 2025 Spring SPORTS Camp at Camp Marston in Julian: Cost $350 Registration Fee, $75 Transportation Fee, $150 Supplemental Staffing Fee; $100 advance deposit will guarantee a spot; Family Rate Special available (family provides 1 chaperone free - $310 per camper for 2 family members, $300 per camper for 3 or more members); Partial Scholarship available. 2025 Summer SPORTS Camp at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center: Cost $350 Registration Fee, $75 Transportation Fee, $150 Supplemental Staffing Fee; $325 Early Bird Special if Camp Registration Form & Fee are turned in by July 1 with $100 non-refundable advance deposit; Partial Scholarship available.
SPORTS Camps are part of SPORTS for Exceptional Athletes, a San Diego-based sports program serving athletes with developmental disabilities ages 5 through adult and offering over 20 sports in 4 sports seasons. SPORTS for Exceptional Athletes is a volunteer-based, community-wide program that works closely with community partners including San Diego Park & Recreation Department – Therapeutic Recreation Services, The Arc of San Diego, The Salvation Army Kroc Center, American Youth Soccer Organization, Down Syndrome Association San Diego, San Diego Police Officer's Association, and Limitless Adventures, and San Diego Parks & Recreation – Therapeutic Recreation Services co-sponsors activities at San Diego City Facilities so that S4EA athletes and volunteers also need to register with SDP&R-TRS. The purpose of SPORTS for Exceptional Athletes is to create enhanced opportunities for people with and without disabilities to interact and form lasting bonds of friendship through shared sports and recreational activities in their community.
Campers spend 2 nights in cabins or group cabins and eat camp meals provided from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch or Sunday lunch snack, and most cabins at Buckhorn Camp do not have bathrooms, with bathrooms nearby. Families may share a cabin with other families at Buckhorn Camp, and because the camps are hilly, campers using a wheelchair may be limited to certain activities, though dining halls and some cabins and many activities are accessible. For safety reasons, temperatures are taken at home before leaving for camp and upon arrival, and if a camper arrives with a fever, they will be sent home, and activities will be spread out more and held outdoors for safety at some camps. Campers may be brought directly to camp locations from San Diego with approximate drive times of about 2 hours and 15 minutes to Idyllwild, a little over 1 hour to Julian, and about 45 minutes to Pine Valley.
SPORTS for Exceptional Athletes was founded 18 years ago (relative to the time of the statement). Walter Jackson, Executive Director, has over 50 years of experience working in sports programs for persons with developmental disabilities, and Clara Downes, Associate Director, has over 50 years of experience working with persons with developmental disabilities. The leadership team includes Walter Jackson (Executive Director), Clara Downes (Associate Director), and the S4EA Board of Directors 2025–26: President - Ron Choularton; Vice President - Kathy Nelson; Treasurer - Skip Covell; Secretary - Diana Rathbun; At-Large - Nicole Alvarez; Members–At–Large: Joe Alvarez-Salas, Kelly Choularton, Isaac Hernandez, Carissa Nelson Zink, Matthew Rathbun, Mia Ryans, Corie Sonnenberg, and Shay Thomas; and Graphic Designer - Mary E. Cunningham. The S4EA Athlete Council 2025–2026 includes President - Joe Alvarez-Salas; Vice President - Evan Perrero; Treasurer - Rachel Goldbaum; Secretary - Matthew Rathbun; and Sergeant–At–Arms - Michael Stein.
S4EA has received Vendor Approval from San Diego Regional Center for SPORTS Camps (PQ8659). Volunteers are needed as coaches, meet volunteers, and for various other jobs such as office projects and special events.
Last updated March 26, 2026.
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