No. We have found that an integral part of the camp’s experience lies in the bonding opportunities presented by living in the Midshipmen dorm for the week and therefore do not offer a day camp option. All camps are overnight experiences.
Yes! Our schedule between weeks is similar, but in most cases, you will be placed with a different coach each week and have the opportunity to hear a new voice and get new feedback on your rowing stroke. The more you attend, the more you get out of it!
No, payment in full for camp is expected at the time of application. Applications not matched with a full payment within 24 hours will be cancelled. Our camps will fill and we cannot hold spots without payment.
Campers will need to choose between rowing or coxing on their application. We are very careful with our numbers as we want our campers spending the majority of their time actually in a boat (vs. watching from the coaching launch), so we limit spare rowers and do not take spare coxswains (spare coxswains would mean spending 50% of their time watching vs. participating).
In the event that we have multiple campers interested in splitting time between rowing and coxing, we try to pair them up in the same group so that they have the opportunity to do both, but we cannot guarantee this possibility.
Otherwise, please note that you will be boated in the position you register for unless we are able to confirm a switch prior to camp check-in. Requests to switch between rowing and coxing must be communicated by email to navycamps@gmail.com; we will let you know by reply if we are able to honor your request.
If you have taken a learn-to-row course or similar basic training but will not have had a full season with a formal team/program by the start of camp, you are only eligible for our June 28 - July 1 Learn-to-Row Camp. The reason for this is that 1-2 weeks of introductory training is just not the same as 2-3 months of routine rowing & racing; campers with only prior camp/clinic experience are rarely able to keep up with the volume and skill expectations of our experienced boats.
Instead, our Learn-to-Row campers with prior camp/clinic experience will be grouped with other campers of similar ability to continue advancing their skills and better prepare them to join a school or club program after camp. There will be a refresher of the basics (as most campers will not have done a camp since last summer), but the camp experience for this group should build upon their previous camp/clinic experience rather than just repeat what they have already learned.
In accordance with the rules of the NCAA we are prohibited from offering free/reduced camp tuition to prospects.
Please visit the Navy Crew Camp for Boys website here.
Our camp is a sweep camp and we boat in 8+s. Depending on numbers, there is a chance that we may row 4+s. We do not offer sculling experience at our camp, but scullers are very much welcome to work with us as a sweep rowers for the week!
They're really the same great camps with the same goals, similar schedule, and same camper profile... the 4-day option just offers campers a shorter week if that works better for their schedule. It's a good option for campers who can't get away for as long (work, vacation, summer training) or who might just want a shorter overnight experience (5 days can be a lot for a first overnight camp, especially our younger campers!).
An additional perk of the 4-day camp is the USNA Plebes will have arrived so there will be some extra buzz around the Yard, giving campers a special glimpse into what summer at a service academy truly looks like.
There will be some erging throughout camp, but please trust that the vast majority of our camp rowing is spent out on the water. We may do some shorter erg work, but rest assured that we will not be 2k testing!
Our coxswains receive feedback alongside their rower counterparts throughout each water session, and meet with their assigned coach before and after sessions for additional feedback and communication. Additionally, we have small group coxswain seminars (where coxswains are welcome to bring recordings to receive feedback) led by our Navy Rowing assistant coach in charge of coxswain education.
Our goal is to develop our coxswains' independence and leadership skills throughout the week.
Rowing is a team sport and our camp operates as one large group. We cannot have campers operating on their own schedules, so most of the time, campers find it difficult to keep up with summer courses during their time at camp.
If your class allows you flexibility on when to log in (i.e. when our schedule has downtime, vs. needing to join a set class schedule) and you are prepared that there will be no Wifi available, it may work.
In general, though, we really encourage campers to be present for all aspects of camp for the week - whether that be a rowing session, an informative brief, game time with your dorm mates, or a rest between sessions!
It honestly depends on the nature and severity of your food allergy. As we are a camp at the United States Naval Academy, where allergies to common foods can be grounds for disqualification from service, we do not have the type of dining hall setup that you would see at a traditional college/university. Meals are served family style, food is cooked in peanut oil, and peanut butter is on every table. Outside of salads and fruit, there is not a buffet nor an option to place an order for specially prepared meals for individual campers.
A gluten-free menu is not available to campers.
If you have an allergy that allows you to evaluate meals on the spot to determine what is safe for you, you will likely be able to attend camp but we would encourage you to bring some supplemental dry food (not requiring refrigeration or heating) just in case.
For any allergy questions/concerns, we advise you to please reach out to us at navycamps@gmail.com prior to applying to see if this camp will be the right fit for you.
As the Naval Academy is not a traditional college, we do not have a traditional college dining hall set-up. Meals are served family style (rather than buffet) and most meals include a meat. Special vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free meals will not be available so campers must be able to properly nourish themselves with the meals offered and any dry supplemental food they choose to bring. As our camp days and workout sessions are long and proper nutrition is critical, if you have a dietary concern, we do ask that you review our dining page carefully and reach out to us to discuss your situation prior to completing an application.
If your camper takes regular medication, please note that camp staff may supervise a camper taking the medicine but cannot actually administer the medicine or take possession of it. Campers must be able to self-medicate responsibly to attend camp.
If your camper will need access to a refrigerator for their medication, please let our camp staff know in advance via email.
Please refer to our comprehensive packing list.
Yes, however cell phones are only to be kept and used in the camper’s room and are not allowed out at formal camp activities (meals, rowing sessions, seminars, etc.), as we wish to have our campers fully present and engaged while they are with us at camp. The camp reserves the right to confiscate cell phones from campers who do not follow this policy.
Please also note that campers will *not* have access to Wifi for their session of camp.
Please see our Check-In/Check-Out page for complete travel details.
Campers may arrive by car, train, or plane. If traveling by train or air, we recommend the BWI Amtrak Station or BWI Airport, as they are closest to Annapolis. A curbside shuttle service is available at an additional cost to campers from both BWI Amtrak and BWI Airport (learn more about this option here).
Check-in for campers and families arriving by car is held at the Navy-Marine Corps Football Stadium where parking is plentiful. Details, including timing and directions, can be found on our check-in/out page here.
We will not have long-term parking available for campers, so if arriving by car, campers should plan on being driven by a parent or guardian. Parents will have the choice of dropping their camper off at stadium check-in or helping to move their camper into the dorm during our check-in window.
For arrival by plane or train, we offer a curbside shuttle service for families who choose to have their campers travel on their own but we are unable to participate in the airlines' and trains' unaccompanied minor program so campers must be able to get themselves independently outside of security on arrival day and check in on their own on departure day. If you choose to have your camper travel independently, please make sure to research the age requirements of your airline or train company prior to making arrangements. Please read more about our shuttle service here. If you have additional questions, please contact us.
Yes! Our BWI Airport/Amtrak shuttle can be added up until 1 week prior to your camp start. You do not need your specific itinerary details to register, but those travel details will be needed by the one week prior to your check-in date.
Unfortunately, due to staffing needs and security on the Naval Yard, we are unable to accommodate alternate check-in and check-out times for individual campers. Please make sure that you review our check-in and check-out times carefully before applying to camp.
Even if you have military ID, you will need to officially check in with camp staff at the stadium to receive your room assignment and to drop off your medical form if you have not submitted it previously. Campers are required to travel onto the Yard in our camp shuttle, but parents with military ID may choose to follow the bus in their own vehicle. Please understand that parking by Bancroft Hall may be very limited, and we cannot guarantee parent parking.
Please reach us at navycamps@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Yes, as long as you will be 13 by the start of the 2026-2027 school year and are prepared to handle the physical demands of the sport, you are welcome to attend camp. Rowers are expected to be able to lift approximately 30 pounds (their share of the boat weight) over their heads when transferring the boats in and out of the water at the beginning and end of each rowing session.
No, the USNA is unable to provide housing between camps. In the past, campers who have elected to do both have stayed with family/friends in the nearby area or in a hotel between camps.
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