The city of Apopka says its 2025 athletic summer camp has been a huge success.
This week marked the final week of the camp, which has been running for the past eight weeks, starting in the first week of June.
“We had good attendance, active participation, and positive feedback from campers and parents,” said Cynthia Edwards, interim recreation director. “Our camp counselors were a big highlight, and they stayed involved with the kids and brought great energy every day.”
The camp took place at the Fran Carlton Center, where kids would spend the morning playing games and socializing before they split off into groups.
“Everybody has their own thing they’ll do,” said Susan Roberts, one of the camp’s counselors. “Let’s say the 6- and 7-year-olds will go to Kit Land Nelson Park, the 8- and 9-year-olds will be out here for the designated sport. And then the 10- to 13-year-olds might stay in here (the Fran Carlton Center) and dance or hang out doing arts and crafts.”
Most days, the younger kids will go to the West Orange Trail’s Apopka Station playground or to the Apopka splash pad if it’s working.
In the afternoons, campers typically went to the Phillis Wheatley Elementary gymnasium, where they would spend hours playing dodgeball, basketball and more.
Roberts, who is a special needs teacher for most of the year, spends her summers in Apopka, where she grew up, giving back to her community.
Roberts loves that the camp is so welcoming and that it keeps the kids away from electronics. She said in an age where it’s increasingly hard to separate children from screens, she finds it impressive that the kids will voluntarily be off their phones at camp.
Apopka residents pay $125, and non-residents pay $150 for the camp. The activities do not require any additional money for supplies or support.
“What I love about this camp is that it’s all prepaid,” Roberts said. “I, as a teacher, cannot stand when everybody gets something and one person doesn’t. It kills me. It’s not their fault. It’s not their parents’ fault. They just can’t afford it. So, when we go on field trips, there are no backpacks, no wallets – nothing. Everything you need is already there. And that has really leveled the playing field.”
Each week of the camp, there is a designated sport to focus on for that period. They have participated in sports such as flag football, basketball, soccer, dodgeball, and even bowling. Roberts said flag football and basketball ranked as the favorites among the campers this summer.
Tuesday of each camp week is field trip day, where campers embark on exciting excursions. These trips included water parks such as Island H20 and Daytona Lagoon, as well as attractions like Gatorland and Pirates dinner theater. Roberts said that Island H20 was the favorite field trip for all the campers this year.
“This camp is really important to the Apopka community,” Edwards said. “It gives kids a safe, affordable, and fun place to be during the summer, which also gives parents peace of mind—especially those who are working. Beyond that, it helps children stay active, make new friends, and create lasting memories. Programs like this don’t just support kids—they help bring the whole community together and invest in the future of Apopka’s next generation.”