Please Join Us!
The mission of Sparks challenge camps is to intensively train athletes in key areas of rowing development while exploring their personal relationship with performance.
Prices rise as spots fill - register early for the best rate! We offer travel insurance with cancel-for-any-reason coverage up to 2 days before camp.
Category
Challenge
Ages
15
-
18
A Four Week Challenge For Thoughtful, Serious Athletes
Combine our Swiss Training Challenge or Dutch Small Boat Challenge camps (7/8-7/19) with our Italian Training Challenge, Swiss Training Challenge, or Thames Racing Challenge camps (7/20-7/31 or 8/1) for a four-week intensive European rowing development experience.
Why combine?
A four-week progression offers:
- Exposure to different coaching voices and technical emphases.
- Increased training volume that sharpens both fitness and skill.
- Exposure to different rowing cultures and an ability to compare technical perspectives and training emphasis for a much-enhanced rowing IQ.
- Continuity of development, with Sparks staff sharing your goals and athletic profile across both camps.
Example 1: Dutch Small Boat Challenge + Thames Racing Challenge
Train in Holland, which the world’s premier small-boat country as per the 2024 Paris Olympic results. Autonomy and precision in small boats will sharpen sensitivity to boatfeel. Carry those lessons directly to the Thames Racing Challenge and enter a competitive, selection based sweep camp and apply your refined technical awareness; finish the program by racing at rowing’s most historic site - Henley-on-Thames.
Example 2: Swiss Training Challenge + Italian Training Challenge
Begin in Lucerne with a focus on physiology, exercise science, and technical work then continue to Turin for an immersion in training habits, nutrition, and the athlete lifestyle. This path emphasizes long-term mastery: learning how to train, feed, and sustain yourself as a high-level rowing athlete.
Even when attending two separate programs, your progress is continuously tracked. Goals and observations are shared among Sparks staff, ensuring that your experience builds sequentially into a coherent four-week journey. The result is deeper technical growth, broader perspective, and a more complete relationship with the sport.
At Sparks, we believe small boats are central to athlete development. Singles and pairs demand accountability and independence, cultivating boatfeel and bladework that cannot be matched in the middle of an eight. That is why our programs in Switzerland, Italy, and Holland feature small boats as their foundation.
We invite you to apply for the opportunity to attend two challenge-level programs next summer back to back. The Sparks staff, reflective cycle, diversity of boatclasses, coaching, and culture will have serious impact on your rowing IQ and make a difference in your growth as an athlete - and as a person.
Our challenge two week programs offer athletes a chance to improve their training and racing self-awareness (rowing "IQ") so they may better pursue rowing performance. The European Development Challenge provides athletes an opprtunity to combine two challenge programs as catalysts for reflection, performance, and improvement. As a result of the length, this is our most selective challenge program.
First: you should aspire to improve your perspective of yourself as a rowing athlete.
Second: you should possess the emotional maturity necessary to integrate with the group and your own relationship with performance.
Finally: you should possess the fitness to get the most out of the program.
Step 1: Initial Application
Submit your registration and pay the $895 deposit; we will accept the deposit to process your application and hold your place. If you are not offered a place, the full deposit is refundable.
Step 2: Written Application
This program informs athletes' approach to rowing performance by enabling the self awareness to guide independent development. Athletes should seek a deeper relationship with rowing performance, possess a drive to learn and improve, and an adventurous spirit.
The European Development Challenge Written Application is comprised of these response prompts:
- What about this specific program appeals to you?
- Evaluate yourself as a rowing athlete - what are your strengths and weaknesses, and how will this program help you grow?
- Evaluate yourself as a teammate. Discuss the ways you are a supportive teammate and explain how you'd like to grow.
- Please provide a brief summary of your rowing experience including a recent 2,000m ergometer score.
- Please upload a short (~1 minute) video of yourself on the ergometer or water.
(Please do not worry about editing or perfect quality - 10-20 strokes from the side will do.
The prompts will be submitted on your Sparks user dashboard and are due within 14 days of initial application.
Step 3: Zoom Interview
You will schedule your interview from your Sparks user dashboard after you submit your written application. During the interview we will talk about the program, your written application, and how the opportunity aligns with your experience, values, and goals.
Step 4: Decision
Upon acceptance full payment is due by March 1. Full payment is due within 14 days for applications received after March 1.
Admissions occurs on a rolling basis. Timeline for decisions is within a week of the interview; if your timeline is shorter, we can work with you. Written applications must be submitted within 14 days of initial application, and interviews must be scheduled within 30 days of initial application.
Included in Camp Fee
- Lodging and Meals
- Camp Gear
- Coaching & Equipment
- 1:3 Staff to Athlete Ratio
- Eurostar ticket AMS -> LON
Not Included in Camp Fee
- Personal Gear
- Airfare to and from camp
- Trip Protection (strongly recommended) - Learn More
At A Glance
Excellent Staff at Low Ratios
Thoughtful Admissions
High Standards of Behavior
Reading and Writing at Camp
Healthy Hospitality
The Reflective Cycle
Camp Focuses
Teamwork
Racing
Small Boats
Sculling
Sweeping
Large Boats
What goes into a Sparks Camp?
You get more out of a Sparks camp because we put more into a Sparks camp*
*These numbers are an approximation across all of our camps.
†Housing includes meeting and activity space for the camp during the day as well.
FAQ
What is the cancellation/refund policy?
Camp purchases are fully refundable minus transaction fees until March 1 for summer camps.
- We strongly recommend you purchase travel protection with cancel for any reason coverage.
- We offer these plans from Travel Insured International during the check-out process for our four and five day camps and during final balance payment for deposit-based multi-week camps.
- Learn more about travel protection here
- If you withdraw after the above dates, there are no refunds for any reason whatsoever (including, but not limited to: voluntary withdraw, illness or injury, summer school, security concerns or other reasons).
- If your camper leaves camp after it starts, there are no refunds for any reason whatsoever, including but not limited to: voluntary withdrawal, illness or injury, dismissal by Sparks (due to discipline, behavior, lack of fitness or motivation, etc.) security concerns, or any other reason. Any costs incurred by Sparks as a result of an early departure are the sole responsibility of the parents.
- In the unlikely case a camp does not proceed, we'll work to notify you by March 1. You'll be offered a different program or a refund. In some cases, we may extend the 'go, no-go' date. We recommend buying your flight after March 1 or later, if we advise.
Do you offer scholarships or discounts?
Our prices increase as spots fill. The earlier you register, the better the price you’ll get.
Regarding Scholarships:
Please see this link to our NCAA Compliance webpage.
What level of experience is necessary for this program?
Average age for our challenge camps is 16 with 1.5 years in the sport. That said, the experience of 1.5 years can vary significantly depending on team and region. We evaluate each athlete on a case by case basis in the admissions process. This is a challenge level program, so age and experience will be less than our leadership level four week program in New Zealand.
That, said given the length of this program, we are a bit more selective about admissions than other challenge level programs. You can read more about that in the FAQ item per selectivity.
Tell me more about admissions for this program - how selective is it?
Our admissions process is the most thoughtful in the sport and we evaluate each athlete on a case by case basis.
This program is extremely selective based on the length, the need for safety, and in some cases - to create competitive boatings for racing. We have a 2K standard in London of sub 7:20 for males and 8:20 for females, but if you're looking to spend four weeks with us and include London - we're looking for well under these numbers. Other combinations may work better for athletes based on their goals and current position in their development curves.
That said: while we look at athletic profile insofar as 2K and rowing experience, we are also very interested in your motivation and passion for rowing. At our camps, the drive to improve leads to increased maturity and thoughtfulness - which leads to performance.
We also consider your ability to live, train, and support others in a community committed to utilizing challenge for personal growth. Sparks camps are unlike traditional training camps in that progress in self-awareness per your relationship with performance is as important as acute technical progress. Ideal candidates will complete the program with gains in both self-awareness and corresponding ability to improve long after camp ends.
You must be patient and mature enough to handle learning new things on a continual basis. It will be a break from your normal training meant to provide perspective and place you in a high-performance team environment and you need to be able to engage it thoughtfully with your peers.
We welcome your questions either via phone or in the chat box in the right hand corner.
What differentiates Sparks camps and this program specifically?
We are the only camp in rowing with a full-time staff that has academic and professional backgrounds in experiential education. We also have a summer operations staff (many are returners that teach during the school year) who buy into the idea of personal growth at camp not just for campers - but for themselves as well.
The result is a culture sincerely committed to the power of rowing as a personally transformative experience built on vulnerability, thoughtfulness, responsibility, and initiative. These qualities along with our values of growth, kaizen, and plus one stroke dictate the culture our camp community forms around. Our focus is on utilizing rowing to create the self-awareness necessary to master one's relationship with performance.
The European Development Challenge is differentiated by the way it links multiple Sparks camps into a single, continuous developmental journey. Most rowing camps are two-week, standalone experiences; this structure creates a four-week arc where athletes can stack programs and see their growth tracked over time.
What can you tell me about college recruiting and this program?
Many recruiters will say "A for effort, but what did you learn?"
Training and racing overseas will speak to some recruiters more than others, but all recruiters care about engagement with the sport more than the particulars of your summer program choice or race results. Given recruiting is a globally competitive "talent marketplace", getting some international perspective will help you - but in the end no one race or camp is going to provide the competitive rowing intellect necessary to succeed at the recruiting process. You are a composite of your experiences - so best to make them unique and highly educational.
The general age of program participants typically puts them more than a year out on college recruiting, but we have had a number of alumni who have gone on to row in college.
How big is the program?
Sparks multi-week cohorts are typically between 12 and 16 athletes. Coaching and operations staff ratios are set at 1:6, making overall staff to student ratio 1:3 - however, sometimes it is even lower.
Sizes:
Holland: 12 Rowers
Switzerland: 12 Rowers
Italy: 12 Rowers
Thames: 16 Rowers, Combines with our UK Coxing Leadership Program to total 22.
At Sparks, we have reflected deeply on optimal group size for camp type and length after over a decade of running rowing camps. The standard in the outdoors education (e.g. hiking trips) is 12 campers at a 1:6 ratio with staff - who are generally undergraduates. While we have kept size while pushing staff ratios down and staff experience up in Holland, we have improved this model for this large boat camp with a larger maximum group size for a better team feel while pushing ratios down with highly qualified staff (classroom educators and coaches with graduate degrees are normal in our staff pool) and an organized structure to better affect consistent performance improvement.
Of chief importance to us is the quality of our cohorts - which we believe is a product of admissions, staffing, and group size to facilitate activities (eg. sweep boat rowing v. singles) as well as friendships that last long after camp ends.
What can you tell me about housing and supervision at camp?
Lodging:
Holland: 3-Star Hotel
Switzerland: Backpackers
Italy: 3-Star Hotel
London: 3-Star Hotel
At Sparks camps, we have two staffs: a coaching staff and an operations staff. Our operations staff is responsible for the experiential education and pastoral care at camp. We seek to maintain industry-leading 1:3 staff to student ratios at this program.
The staff lives amongst the athletes, and has oversight 24 hours a day. Unhealthy substances and/or behaviors are strictly prohibited.
Tell me about safety at Sparks
We employ safety and risk management practices from the adventure education industry, where some risk is inherent but must be quantified insofar as educational value. These practices are initially employed in program design and we work hard to train operations staff to seek to maintain an awareness of specific risks at all times. No outdoors programming can guarantee safety, however professional management of risk is key to the art of providing consistently excellent experiential education programming.
Please also see our essential eligibility criteria
How do you handle travel to/from the camp?
We recommend you see the camp-specific page for initial arrival and final departure information, however it generally involves arriving in the morning at the initial camp and departing in the evening at the second camp.
We provide shared direct US hub flight suggestions for interested campers. Our Program Director (already on the ground as students depart) tracks student travel, where they are met at the airport by our staff at each camp.
As per getting between camp: each scenario naturally differs based on the transfer, and we work with each European Development Challenge camper individually to organize transfer between camps in the late Spring. That said, we include a night of hotel stay after the first camp has ended with a staff member and the cost of transport to the second within that camp's time guidelines as part of the program fee.
If you have questions, we're happy to answer them in the box in the lower right side, or you can schedule a call with us.
I have questions before I apply. Is it possible to speak with someone?
Certainly - we completely understand your need to connect about this commitment!
We just ask you schedule a call with us (click here) given we're a very small office.
Where are camp forms found?
Camp forms are issued at least six weeks prior to camp on our site via your dashboard.
We're considering providing this camp but want to ensure we can provide a solid program. To help us make the best decision, we'd love to hear from you!If you're interested in attending or learning more, please take a moment to share a bit about yourself. By filling out this form, you're not committing to attend – you're simply letting us know what would make this camp meaningful and how it aligns with your interests.
Once we’ve gathered feedback, we’ll be in touch!