UK cancels sports camps through July 31. Seven were to be hosted by John Calipari.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the University of Kentucky announced Wednesday that all athletics camps and clinics which were to be hosted by the school through July 31 both on and off campus have been canceled.
In a press release, UK said that refunds will be issued automatically through the school’s camp registration platform “Active.” Camps will not be scheduled after July 31 until further notice.
Among the canceled events were seven that would have been hosted at UK by men’s basketball coach John Calipari and members of his staff: Three Father/Son, two Father/Daughter and two Overnight camps.
“I know our campers are just as disappointed as we are. It’s one of our favorite times of the year. But we are in full agreement and understanding of this decision,” Calipari tweeted Wednesday. “A full refund will be given to those registered. We’re exploring options to do some camps once it’s safe to do so.”
Several UK players and alumni typically participate in Calipari’s camps. Last year’s inaugural Father-Daughter camp featured most of the 2019-20 team as well as Calipari’s son and former Wildcat Brad Calipari.
Non-sports camps
Some non-sports camps are still currently scheduled to take place this summer. In an email to the Herald-Leader, UK spokesperson Jay Blanton wrote, “At this time, we still have scheduled camps and programs for the summer months. Some camps have chosen to cancel on their own. No global decision has been made at this point by the university.”
Multiple STEM camps are scheduled to take place on UK’s campus in June, with the first round running June 1-5. Craig Schroeder, director of UK’s STEM camps, said plans are in the works to offer a virtual alternative in the likely event that the camps are canceled.
“As of this moment, we are awaiting further guidance from the university regarding summer academic camp activities. We are anticipating having to cancel our camps,” Schroeder wrote in an email to the Herald-Leader. “Last month, we paused registrations and payments so our families, including us, could concentrate on the things that were most important. If camps are canceled, we will be issuing full refunds to families. For an alternative to summer STEM camp at UK, we are working with five other universities across the U.S. to put together a virtual, at-home camp where families and students can engage in hands-on STEM at home.”
This story was originally published April 8, 2020 at 3:32 PM.
