The school year is out, COVID-19 is still here, and students all across the country are left with a massive amount of free time while stuck at home.

If my own formative years in school were any indication, doing more work during summer break was the last thing on my mind. But that was also a time when high-speed internet required you to dial-in and make sure no one picked up the phone while you were playing. If you were lucky, you had DSL, which gave you around 1-5Mbps. 

But esports is here and there are plenty of camps that can be both fun, informative, and most critically, occupy your time during the summer. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the summer camps offered. 

Sign up quickly, many camps are already full or nearing their deadlines.

UC Irvine

Home of Peter the Anteater, UCI is hosting a few camps over the summer that may interest you. 

First up, we have the League of Legends bootcamp. This camp experience is for the high-level LoL players who hope to one day compete in the big leagues. You’ll receive guidance and mentorship from UCI’s scholarship LoL team and coaching staff. In addition, you’ll be exposed to training regimens, analytical tools, and research methodologies used at the pro level.

The bootcamp is virtual and done in PST, so those of you on not on the west coast that are interested, please note the times events start so you don’t miss them.

The two sessions will run from July 6-10 and July 13-17 and the camp has a cost of $350, with a discount for applicants who sign up together.

The deadline for applications is June 14 or until all slots are full. Full details here and register here.

UCI is also offering an Overwatch boot camp that is very similar to the League of Legends bootcamp, however, it accommodates players of all skill levels. Campers will receive strategic coaching and learn about team play, communication, effective review, and how to take their game to the next level.

The Overwatch boot camps will take place between July 6-10 and July 13-17 and have the same cost of $350, with the aforementioned multiple applicant discount for those signing up together.

The deadline for applications is June 14 or until all slots are full. Full details here and register here.

USC

Home of Tommy Trojan, USC will have three total summer camp options throughout July and August. Participants with receive a free Epos gaming headset for participating in the camp. You’ll experience five days of League of Legends practice, drills, and scrims under the tutelage of USC Coach, Joe Jacko. 

Those interested in the USC summer camps should note that the August camp is for girls only. For more information and registration, visit their website at https://www.leagueesportsbootcamps.com/

While it’s too late to register for this year, keep an eye out next year for USC’s journalism summer camp for students. Journalism is an important part of esports that is still growing and evolving, and a course like the one from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism is sure to start you on the right path.

Camp Localhost

Another option for those looking for an online camp option is powered by Nerd Street Gamers. They're offering a wide variety of weekly camps for the following games: Fortnite, VALORANT, Overwatch, Rocket League, and League of Legends. The camps will provide attendees with in-game tips and tricks and lessons on communication, team dynamics, critical thinking, and computer knowledge.

Camps started running on June 1 and will continue to run throughout most of July, but sign up quickly. Camp prices start at $39 and you can learn more and register here.

Connected Camps

Last, but certainly not least, Connected Camps is running classes all throughout the summer months that may interest you. They have online courses in everything from Fortnite to Rocket League to Engineering to Architecture to Game Design and so much more.

Check out their schedule at https://connectedcamps.com/summer-camp-schedule and click on a class to learn more about it and register.

Immortals Gaming Camps

Immortals Gaming Club, home of the Los Angeles Valiant OWL team and Immortals LCS team, has partnered with Nerd St Gamers to launch Immortals Gaming Camps! They’re teaming up to produce multi-day online esports camps focused on League of Legends and Overwatch. For the first time ever, gamers will have the opportunity to participate in a structured, online esports camp run by a professional gaming organization.

Skills learned throughout the sessions, including teamwork, communication, and positively staying cool under pressure, will serve campers in their lives, both while gaming and elsewhere. Every session includes plenty of opportunities for campers to scrimmage, practice their skills, and then evaluate their performance with structured feedback from instructors. The camps will also include daily seminars from industry experts, professional players, and more. Each camp is $150.

Streaming and Beyond

If you can’t get into any of the camps, or want to focus on something more like streaming, check out Twitch.tv’s own channel about streaming. They have a library of VODs on various subjects when it comes to streaming successfully.

Don’t forget quick Google searches for summer camps in your area!