About
Camp Winadu offers a wide range of activities, including basketball, soccer, lacrosse, golf, ice hockey, football, tennis, outdoor adventure, baseball, arts and hobbies, waterskiing, and other water sports. Campers also take part in waterfront activities, campfire and s'mores, rocket ship building, and archery.
Camp Winadu was founded in 1927 and has over 90 years of traditional camp history. Shelley and Arleen Weiner acquired Camp Winadu in 1974 and are listed as Directors Emeritus. Under their guidance, Camp Winadu is described as a premier, traditional boys sports camp in the nation.
The camp’s mission statement is “Building Character through Sports,” with programs and instruction designed to foster sportsmanship, teamwork, and selflessness. The camp’s values are described in The Winadu Circle as Spirit, Sportsmanship, Service, Table Manners, Cooperation, and Campership. Campership is defined as caring for others, praising the successes of others, honoring those who have accomplished new things, and going above and beyond for fellow campers every single day. There is a weekly camp-wide celebration of Campership with live music from the Winadu band, dancing, laughter, and cheers.
The leadership team includes husband and wife duos Jill and Jared Shapiro and Alissa and Mike Girling, who are described as parents, along with Assistant Director Meg Keighley. Additional leadership and key staff include Willem “V” Van Zyl (Staffing Coordinator & Group Leader), Isabelle Van Zyl (Staffing Coordinator & Operations), Rachel Friedman (Seasonal Assistant Director), Sarah Portugal (Head Nurse), Lizzy Rosen (Communications Manager), Carlos Velasco (Head of Support Staff), Christian Mangerian (Athletic Coordinator), and several Group Leaders: Kevin Mirando, Hallie Grodin, Marquis Standard, and Bernard Palmer. Program-area leaders include Pablo Montana (Tennis Director), Manny Adigun (Basketball Director), Bill Kangas (Ice Hockey Director), Tim Conaway (Golf Director), Kelsey Maska (Outdoor & Aerial Adventure Director), Dalton Maska (Football Director), Matt Michalski (Baseball Director), Bruno Piva DeCastro (Soccer Director), Gerry Nacheman (Head of Pool), Jason Colborne (Head of Waterfront), Sarah Houston (Assistant Head of Waterfront), and Wilder Schultz (Head of Waterski).
The camp has 215 staff members and reports traveling over 12,000+ miles to find staff, with a 90% return rate for key staff. Camp Winadu states that great staff is the secret to its success and lists one goal: to provide each camper’s son with a summer to remember in a healthy, safe, and supportive atmosphere. The camp is accredited, though the specific accrediting body is not named in the provided information.
Health care at camp includes 8 medical professionals on-site, with a doctor who lives on camp, plus 6 nurses and a trainer who reside in the health center. The Head Nurse is listed as Sarah Portugal.
One parent from Maplewood, NJ, states that the philosophy at Winadu around teamwork, sportsmanship, and building independence resonated with their family. Another parent from New York, NY, notes that their child received instruction in sports such as basketball, football, and baseball, along with rocket ship building, archery, and water sports, and describes this as the blend they wanted in a camp experience.
Last updated May 31, 2026.
Camp Winadu was founded in 1927 and has over 90 years of traditional camp history. Shelley and Arleen Weiner acquired Camp Winadu in 1974 and are listed as Directors Emeritus. Under their guidance, Camp Winadu is described as a premier, traditional boys sports camp in the nation.
The camp’s mission statement is “Building Character through Sports,” with programs and instruction designed to foster sportsmanship, teamwork, and selflessness. The camp’s values are described in The Winadu Circle as Spirit, Sportsmanship, Service, Table Manners, Cooperation, and Campership. Campership is defined as caring for others, praising the successes of others, honoring those who have accomplished new things, and going above and beyond for fellow campers every single day. There is a weekly camp-wide celebration of Campership with live music from the Winadu band, dancing, laughter, and cheers.
The leadership team includes husband and wife duos Jill and Jared Shapiro and Alissa and Mike Girling, who are described as parents, along with Assistant Director Meg Keighley. Additional leadership and key staff include Willem “V” Van Zyl (Staffing Coordinator & Group Leader), Isabelle Van Zyl (Staffing Coordinator & Operations), Rachel Friedman (Seasonal Assistant Director), Sarah Portugal (Head Nurse), Lizzy Rosen (Communications Manager), Carlos Velasco (Head of Support Staff), Christian Mangerian (Athletic Coordinator), and several Group Leaders: Kevin Mirando, Hallie Grodin, Marquis Standard, and Bernard Palmer. Program-area leaders include Pablo Montana (Tennis Director), Manny Adigun (Basketball Director), Bill Kangas (Ice Hockey Director), Tim Conaway (Golf Director), Kelsey Maska (Outdoor & Aerial Adventure Director), Dalton Maska (Football Director), Matt Michalski (Baseball Director), Bruno Piva DeCastro (Soccer Director), Gerry Nacheman (Head of Pool), Jason Colborne (Head of Waterfront), Sarah Houston (Assistant Head of Waterfront), and Wilder Schultz (Head of Waterski).
The camp has 215 staff members and reports traveling over 12,000+ miles to find staff, with a 90% return rate for key staff. Camp Winadu states that great staff is the secret to its success and lists one goal: to provide each camper’s son with a summer to remember in a healthy, safe, and supportive atmosphere. The camp is accredited, though the specific accrediting body is not named in the provided information.
Health care at camp includes 8 medical professionals on-site, with a doctor who lives on camp, plus 6 nurses and a trainer who reside in the health center. The Head Nurse is listed as Sarah Portugal.
One parent from Maplewood, NJ, states that the philosophy at Winadu around teamwork, sportsmanship, and building independence resonated with their family. Another parent from New York, NY, notes that their child received instruction in sports such as basketball, football, and baseball, along with rocket ship building, archery, and water sports, and describes this as the blend they wanted in a camp experience.
Last updated May 31, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.