It has been anything but quiet at Redeemer University College this summer as sports camp participants have taken over the campus in record numbers. With a full month of camp programming still to go for the Department of Athletics & Recreation, the University is quickly becoming a leader in Hamilton for summer camp opportunities. Redeemer’s very popular Summer RAYS camp has seen a steady increase in campers over the last few years. Summer RAYS is a week-long multi-sport camp that runs for eight weeks through July and August. The RAYS camps hit an all-time high with about 100 more participants this summer than in any previous year. The camp, which is in its 22nd year, will surpass 600 participants. Redeemer’s Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jamie Girolametto led a sold-out basketball development camp for the second year in a row. The camp is a ten-week training program that runs one night a week and focuses on allowing elite players to develop their skills through intense workouts and drills. Close to 80 participants filled the gym each week on Monday and Wednesday. As a new initiative for this summer, Redeemer partnered with Athletes in Action to provide soccer summer camps that are centred on developing fundamentals and growing spiritually with the Total Athlete Curriculum. With the first week of the scheduled two almost complete, the turnout for this new camp has been great. Thirty players attended week one through both paid registrations and through very generous sponsors. Redeemer Athletics also hosted the Spring RAYS March Break camp and Royals Beach Volleyball Camp. Athletics will host the Royals Volleyball Camp between August 18th and 22nd. This year’s strong camp numbers show the department’s focus on the development of student leaders and the camps’ great reputation, explains Sports Camp Co-Director Caell Huyer. “I think we offer strong programming”, commented Huyer, “and great leadership is at the core. Whether it’s our Royals coaches running the camps or our student leaders, their abilities greatly affect the quality of programming. We believe that this is what continues to bring campers back to our camps and is the reason why the majority of our campers return year after year.”