Coaches and Summer Coordinators

The information provided below is designed to keep you and your campers safe and happy. The online orientation provides the most comprehensive information about UM safety policies and is required for all coaches and coordinators. Your conference manager can answer any questions you may have about the online orientation or our summer safety policies.

Online Orientation for Athletic Camp Coordinators and Coaches

The University of Michigan has developed a comprehensive set of guidelines for athletic camp coordinators and coaches. Please follow the link below to read the policies and complete the Online Orientation.

Staff Identification

Mcards will be provided to all of your staff and are required to enter the residence hall, eat meals with the campers and to pass building security. Prior to the start of your camp, we will contact you in order to schedule a time when you can pick up and return your Mcards. All Mcards must be returned at the end of your camp.

Camper Identification

Residential campers will be given lanyards that must be worn at all times in the residence halls. If the lanyard is not visible, University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security (U-M DPSS) personnel and University Housing representatives will ask to see identification.

Your conference manager will advise you on how to obtain lanyards.

Non-Residential Staff and Participants

Non-residential program participants (commuters or day campers) and staff must have an ID indicating the program and the date.

Visitor Identification

All visitors (including parents and siblings) must sign in at the the residence hall and have visible identification and must be supervised at all times. Visitors must wear a self-adhesive badge that contains the following information:

• Name
• Summer Program Name
• Name of Residence Hall
• Date

Supervision

You and your camp staff are responsible for supervising your campers from 8:00am to 8:00pm. This includes lunch and dinner in the dining hall.

Coaches are required to attend each meal to supervise their campers in the dining hall. We encourage all commuter campers to purchase meals and eat in the dining hall with their fellow campers. However, we will also provide another eating location in the residence hall for commuter campers with sack lunches. Coaches must supervise these campers as well.

Campers will be required to walk several blocks from the residence hall to the athletic campus. They must be supervised for this walk. Coach staff should meet the campers at the residence hall in the morning and walk with them to the athletic site.

Campers will also need to be walked to and from meals. In order to eliminate confusion, we suggest a set meeting time and place so that the campers know when and where to meet their coach, and we recommend that coaches take attendance then.

Evening/Overnight Supervision

After 8:00pm, Conference Services provide evening and overnight supervision in the residence halls. Our team works to keep your campers safe and to make their time with us fun. Our trained counselors lead a variety of organized evening activities for your campers.

Evening and overnight supervisory staff includes: a camp director, an assistant camp director, six skilled camp coordinators, fifty trained camp counselors and various office staff.

Trainers

Trainers are required to be in the residence hall overnight and have copies of all camper Medical Information forms with them in case of a medical emergency. University Housing provides meals and a sleeping room for your Athletic Trainer. Trainers should check in at the residence hall Camp Desk on the first day of camp.

Trainers staying in the residence halls for camps are responsible for:

• Keeping the medical release forms of the sport(s) he or she is assigned.
• Collecting and distributing any prescription medications for campers.
• Providing adequate emergency transportation for injured campers. If a trainer does not have a car, the sport must provide one.
• Working with University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security (U-M DPSS) to decide if a camper needs an ambulance.
• Arranging adequate training and medical supplies for treatment of common injuries.
• Communicating with University Housing when a camper is injured.
• Working to insure camper safety.
• Refraining from bringing guests and illegal substances into the residence halls.

If a camper is injured during the day, Camp Staff will contact the Trainer right away. The Trainer should have access to camper medical forms at all times.

The following procedures are designed to help your camp run smoothly. Contact your conference manager with any questions.

Meals and Meal Cards

The dining hall requires identification for entry. Your conference manager will help you choose the right arrangements for your event.

Commuters can purchase meal cards online in order to eat meals in the dining facilities on campus. Inform us before your camp if you wish to pay for the commuter meals for your campers. 

The office staff keeps a list of commuters and the meals they purchased in case the campers misplace their meal card. We understand that these cards may be lost in the commotion and excitement of your activities and want to be sure that the campers receive their paid-for meals.

All campers are expected to eat all meals (Monday-Friday) in the dining hall during their camp's designated meal times. (For sample menus, visit our dining page.) We will provide alternate space for commuter campers with sack lunches.

Every effort will be made to accommodate preferred meal times. Some dining facilities may have assigned hours in order to provide service to a number of groups.

There is no food service in the Residence Dining Halls on Sunday; however, there are many eating options within walking distance for you to choose from such as fast food restaurants in the Michigan Union and countless restaurants in the University of Michigan/Ann Arbor area.

Contact the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau or Arborweb.

Food Allergies or Special Dietary Needs

Please notify your Conference Services contact if you have a participant or staff member with any food allergies or specific dietary needs. A dietician is available to consult with guests regarding their meals. Contact eatsmart@umich.edu for more information.

Registration

Conference Services may be involved in your registration process. Please consult the camp staff about your registration location, date, time, and process.

Room Assignments and Roommate Requests

• Conference Services will assign all campers to double or triple rooms in the residential halls by camp, gender, and age.
• Campers will be in the same hall as other members of their camp.
• Male and female campers stay on separate floors to eliminate unsupervised interaction.
• Campers will be in halls with other campers their own age. If two campers of different ages would like to stay together, we will assign a room based on the younger camper's age. We will not place a younger camper in an older hall.
• If campers would like to room together, the first camper to arrive may request a spot for his/her desired roommate by telling the camp staff member the name and age of the desired roommate. The best way to facilitate roommate requests is for campers to arrive at registration together.
• There are no room guarantees; we fill all rooms to capacity, regardless of roommate requests.

Check In

Check in generally occurs during the daytime hours. Conference Services prepares room keys and/or Mcards in advance of your check-in. Please make sure that you have provided an updated roster of your group prior to your arrival. Contact your Conference Services contact and make us aware of your needs at check-in including dedicated space, tables, parking, etc. If you intend to arrive after 6pm, please make arrangements with us for your late arrival. Check with us regarding your building’s specific front desk hours.

Check Out

You will know your check out times before your camp begins, and parents/guardians should also be informed of these check out times.

It is important that campers check out during the assigned time so that we can clean and prepare for the following camp. Furthermore, our staff will only be available during these times to check out campers.

Under special circumstances and with prior approval, we will make arrangements for campers to check out at the front desk.

In order to check out, campers must:

• Go to their assigned hall during the scheduled check out time.
• Clean their rooms and pack.
• Check out with their hall counselors.

After Your Camp Ends

When your camp ends:

• Return all staff Mcards to the front desk.
• Review your preliminary bill, and talk to your Conference Services contact if you have any questions.

Part of the fun of Summer Programs is staying in the residence halls with other participants. We recommend that program organizers familiarize themselves with residence hall security and hold an orientation session upon check in for residential campers.

Camper Orientation

The following are suggested topics and information that should be included in your residential orientation program.

Community Living

• Crimes Against Persons
• Discrimination or Discriminatory Harassment
• Tampering with Elevators
• False Alarms and Tampering with Fire Equipment
• Illegal Substances
• Personal Property
• Smoking
• Telephones
• Vandalism and Damages
• Video Camera Surveillance
• Tampering with Windows and Screens

Safety and Security Topics

• Campus Construction Areas
• Crimes Against Property
• Electrical Storms
• Campus Emergency Telephones
• Fire
• Keycards
• Locking Room Doors
• Power Outages
• Propped Doors
• Reporting Strangers in the Hall
• Tornados
• Traffic

Program-Specific Topics

Each program should establish rules and procedures for the safety and security of participants. The following are suggestions for discussion:

• Transporting campers
• Curfew
• Disciplinary actions
• Procedures for sick campers
• The procedure for dispensing medication
• Visitor policy
• How to reach a counselor
• When to call for assistance
• Special needs or requirements
• Procedures for early checkout

Safety Tips

We also recommend that you provide a written list of safety tips to give to your participants during orientation. Here are some basic ones - you may have others that are specific to your program to add to these. 

• Never let someone who you don't know into your residence hall or your room.
• Never prop open exterior doors.
• Always know where your room keycard or Mcard are at all times.
• Keep your room door locked at all times. It only takes a few seconds for a thief to enter a room and steal property.
• Do not disable any safety feature in the residence hall (automatic door closures, fire doors, etc.)
• Walk in groups when traveling outside of the residence hall, especially at night. Travel in well-lighted, heavy traffic areas.
• If you are the victim of a crime in your hall or anywhere on campus, or observe a crime being committed or think one is being committed, contact U-M DPSS immediately.

Contact the University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security (U-M DPSS) immediately to report a suspicious person or activity in the residence hall or on your floor or if you ever feel that your or another's safety is in jeopardy - DIAL 9-1-1.

A printable version of these safety tips is available for use.

Evening Activities

Camp activities begin at 8:30pm and end at 10:45pm. Campers are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of activities, including:

• Sports (kickball, basketball, Frisbee, waffle ball, four-square, silly softball)
• Games (card games, table tennis, board games, water balloon toss)
• Crafts
• Karaoke
• Food runs (Counselors take campers to area food vendors)
• Food ordering (Counselors place food orders for campers, which is delivered to a common area in the residence halls)

Hall Meetings

A hall meeting takes place at 8:30pm on the first night of camp. Every camper is required to attend. The meeting covers:

• Camp rules
• Camp schedules
• Medical procedures
• Check Out procedures