Investing in Athletics

by Sam Caplan, Chief Development Officer

At Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, we strive for excellence in everything we do, and in each activity and program area of camp. Our land sports are no exception, from inter-eidah rivalry games to the unmatched excitement of Yom Sport competitions. Each season we acquire new training and teaching tools to help our campers learn and play sports at new levels. This past season a number of new rebounder, batting, and L-Screen nets were incorporated into our softball and baseball programs. Israeli staff member Daniel Malka, the 2022 Rosh Sport and professional basketball coach, worked tirelessly to ensure his sports staff, like award-winning high school and now college Division III varsity athletes Elior Rose and Zach Rosen, had the tools and training they needed to work with our campers at the highest levels. But even with the best staff and top-notch equipment, we still need to push further.

When the current courts were expanded and resurfaced from rough pebbled concrete nearly 25 years ago, it was a game changer then for campers and staff. Over the last two decades the surfacing materials on the market have gotten significantly better, multi-layered and softer, and can more easily sustain the brutal winters of the Wisconsin Northwoods. The courts are at the very heart of camp, some would say on near equal footing with the Kikar, with maximum campers and staff foot traffic playing and crossing from one side to the other.

In June of 2023 we are thrilled to open our new Sports Campus. Beyond the long-needed additional coat of paint the courts could use, we view all opportunities like this one as chances to upgrade our facility so as to provide a better experience for our campers. The brand-new courts will be safe and easy to traverse through and around without disturbing any of the game play. The new state-of-the-art design of four basketball courts includes a Championship Court complete with bleachers and electronic scoreboard, and a junior court for our youngest campers with adjustable hoop heights. Additionally, the project features five tennis courts with playable lines for pickleball.

In designing this new campus, we partnered with Home Court Advantage, owned by Nivonim 1997 alumna, Lindsey Lauter, and her husband, Nate Parsons. Nate reflects, “I’ve done thousands of athletic courts for summer camps, schools, country clubs — you name it. Ramah Wisconsin is going to have one of the premier athletic facilities in the country. Super excited to be part of this transformation!” We’ve also added in lots of spectator seating and group gathering space throughout the campus so everyone can feel a part of the action whether on or off the court. Integral to this broader central Sports Campus concept will be a climbing playscape, and we are thrilled to be partnering with GRG, a firm out of Milwaukee recognized as best-in-class in building these amazing spaces for kids to grow and have fun. The sports campus renovation is supported in part by a Yashar Initiative grant, generously funded by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and coordinated by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. Through this grant and the incredible support of our community we are proud to build a sports campus with a real focus on accessibility and inclusion.

Please click on the QR codes or visit ramahwisconsin. com/sports-courts-campaign for details on the project including construction updates and naming opportunities still available.

“This was my fourth year at camp and my friends and family in Israel often ask me, ‘Why do you keep going back?’ I explain that Camp Ramah feels like a safe zone, a comfortable place where I feel connected to the campers and can help them improve their sports skills and learn life skills. And it’s very rewarding when I hear kids say that the courts are their favorite place in camp.”

Daniel Malka, Rosh Sport