UF RecSports Youth Programs – RecSplorers & Esports Camps
Southwest Recreation Center, 3150 Hull Rd, Gainesville, FL 32611
About
UF RecSports Youth Programs – RecSplorers & Esports Camps offers activities that include sports, group fitness classes, outdoor recreation, sailing a Hobie Cat Wave, boating, an aerial adventure course called The Compass Course, making s'mores, and lawn games. Esports camps are also offered as part of the Youth Programs. Family Day: Sailing 101 includes a short written test and an on-water skills demonstration related to sailing a Hobie Cat Wave.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Youth Programs office hours are 9:00am–4:00pm Monday–Friday, with RecSplorers and Esports camps offered in week-long and some 3-day sessions in June, July, and early August, and daily camp hours generally in the morning through mid-afternoon with optional Afternoon Adventure or Extended Day to 5:15pm.
• Price: Prices include options such as $200–$360 per camp week depending on location, membership status, and session length, $225 for Esports camp sessions plus $175 for Extended Adventure, $85 daily drop-in, $45 per person for Family Day: Sailing 101, and $35 per person for Youth Aerial Adventures & S’mores high ropes with s'mores, with additional listed fees for deposits, schedule changes, and late pickup.
Youth Programs staff members are selected after a competitive application process that includes group interviews and a thorough background check, and once selected they are trained in their camp responsibilities and required to have up-to-date certifications in first-aid and CPR. All counselors are University of Florida students and are described as having a desire to share their appreciation for recreation and learning with youth in the community. The mission of UF RecSports Youth Programs is to enhance the UF community by encouraging the development of the whole person, and to inspire self-discovery and foster a sense of belonging through a wide variety of recreational experiences. Each camp offers campers the opportunity to explore aspects of wellness including physical, intellectual, social, and emotional elements.
For Youth Aerial Adventures & S’mores, participant requirements include a minimum age of 6 years, a minimum waist size of 16 inches to fit safely into harnesses, a minimum height of 48 inches, and a maximum weight of 260 lbs or a 55-inch waist size, and children under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult and minors must be able to participate independently if their adult is staying on the ground. For Family Day: Sailing 101, participants must pass a sail test to check out a Hobie Cat Wave. All events are non-refundable and non-transferable, a $75 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve a spot in each week of camp, a $25 administrative fee applies to change to a different week of camp after initial registration, and a late fee of $5.00 plus an additional $5.00 per minute is assessed for children not picked up by closing time at 3:00 p.m. (or 5:15 p.m. for aftercare campers), with the center contacting the sheriff’s office to report child abandonment if a child is not picked up and every attempt to reach an authorized adult has failed.
Last updated February 19, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Youth Programs office hours are 9:00am–4:00pm Monday–Friday, with RecSplorers and Esports camps offered in week-long and some 3-day sessions in June, July, and early August, and daily camp hours generally in the morning through mid-afternoon with optional Afternoon Adventure or Extended Day to 5:15pm.
• Price: Prices include options such as $200–$360 per camp week depending on location, membership status, and session length, $225 for Esports camp sessions plus $175 for Extended Adventure, $85 daily drop-in, $45 per person for Family Day: Sailing 101, and $35 per person for Youth Aerial Adventures & S’mores high ropes with s'mores, with additional listed fees for deposits, schedule changes, and late pickup.
Youth Programs staff members are selected after a competitive application process that includes group interviews and a thorough background check, and once selected they are trained in their camp responsibilities and required to have up-to-date certifications in first-aid and CPR. All counselors are University of Florida students and are described as having a desire to share their appreciation for recreation and learning with youth in the community. The mission of UF RecSports Youth Programs is to enhance the UF community by encouraging the development of the whole person, and to inspire self-discovery and foster a sense of belonging through a wide variety of recreational experiences. Each camp offers campers the opportunity to explore aspects of wellness including physical, intellectual, social, and emotional elements.
For Youth Aerial Adventures & S’mores, participant requirements include a minimum age of 6 years, a minimum waist size of 16 inches to fit safely into harnesses, a minimum height of 48 inches, and a maximum weight of 260 lbs or a 55-inch waist size, and children under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult and minors must be able to participate independently if their adult is staying on the ground. For Family Day: Sailing 101, participants must pass a sail test to check out a Hobie Cat Wave. All events are non-refundable and non-transferable, a $75 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve a spot in each week of camp, a $25 administrative fee applies to change to a different week of camp after initial registration, and a late fee of $5.00 plus an additional $5.00 per minute is assessed for children not picked up by closing time at 3:00 p.m. (or 5:15 p.m. for aftercare campers), with the center contacting the sheriff’s office to report child abandonment if a child is not picked up and every attempt to reach an authorized adult has failed.
Last updated February 19, 2026.
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