"Henry said it was “GREAT. A 360 five hundred times! No infinity times!!” He just got interested in skateboarding and now he’s hooked. I cannot believe how much he learned. he’s watching the x games and talking about coming back next year and to BMX class too." - Jen R. 2019
"Addison is so ready for summer camp!! She had a blast last summer!!" - Amanda C, 2019
"My kids look forward to Oakland Yard Youth Camp every year! They come home excited and absolutely love the programs they signed up for and their camp counselors. Always eager to try new programs the following year!! Can't wait for camp 2020!!" - Amanda S, 2019
"My kids love it at Oakland yard everyday they are there they tell me how much fun they had and that all the camp counselors are so nice. The staff is super nice and welcoming. Thank you Oakland yard for helping my kids summer be even more fun." - Nikki M, 2019
"Thank you, thank you, thank you to the amazing staff at Oakland Yard Athletics for an incredible summer experience. My 5 yr old has become a better little human thanks to your patience, guidance, knowledge and skill. I could not have asked for a better group of people to spend their days with my child. We look forward to seeing you next summer." - Christine K, 2019
"We did three weeks over the course of the summer, and each day the kids came home with epic tales of the fun they had in camp, on the slip n slide, making sand castles, and just having a blast. Basically everything a kids summer should be.
They are already planning out what camps they want to try next year, and the year after.
Thank you for another amazing summer! You guys are all awesome!" - Stephanie J, 2019
"Coach Ashley, Coach Steph and ALL of the coaches and staff are AMAZING!! My boys loved sports camp, car town, soccer and free style camp! And the water slide is extra fun! ❤❤ love this camp! Thank you!" - Alicia L, 2019
"My daughter had a great time at volleyball camp this week! She did breakfast club all week and stayed for freestyle a couple days, both add ones were great! She’s already asked if she can go another week this summer and for sure wants to go come back next summer...she’s even already talking about being a CIT when she’s 13. Thanks OYA for a great week!" - Becky C, 2019
"My daughter is in the Jr. Golf Camp & having a great experience. As soon as you arrive to drop off your child for day camp, you can just tell they are going to have a fun filled day! The staff and counselors are super friendly & caring and you can tell they enjoy what they do. My girl has learned a lot about the sport & the kids’ golfing time seems to be nicely balanced out with a lot of other fun camp activities. Besides proudly telling us what she’s learned about the sport, she loves the slip & slide, ropes course, & joke-story time. We’re totally looking forward to another sports camp there later this summer, and foresee lots of fun in summers to come... Thanks OYA!" - Melinda H, 2019
"Best variety in day camps available! A lot of opportunity to allow children to pursue experiences based on their interests. This is our 4th summer here and we love it." - Teri A, 2019
"Staff is excellent and the kids have a great time. We drive from royal oak because we like the camp so much!" - Tracy W, 2019
"The summer camp programs are amazing! There is a huge variety and the activities are themed so well for each camp. I love that there is a great mix of physical activities and creative projects. The drop-off and pick-up systems are well supervised." - Alexandra L, 2019
"Initially (in 2016), my teaching partner who lives in Waterford handed me the OY booklet raving about the summer camps and told me I HAD to sign up Miles. I did and we sort of never turned back. We've returned each year because the camp staff is enthusiastic, kid appropriate, never on their cell phones (unless checking IDs) and generally make our kid feel loved and want to return. As teachers, we know that maintaining that outwardly happy, outgoing, fun-loving spirit can be very difficult as the school year (summer in your case) wears on, but your staff are doing a really great job and we appreciate that they've been great role models for our son in showing him how to treat others." - Katie S, 2019
Your facility, staff and personal attention are fabulous! We'll be your raving fans. Brought some cousins and friends to join my kids this week. We love your camps!
Heather G.
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I am writing to tell you how pleased we were with our sports camp experience! Our sons took golf summer camp, and really enjoyed the golf and the “camp freestyle” afterward. We work in Waterford, but live in Rochester, and the extra effort to get them to the camp was well worth it!
The checking in and checking out procedures are the best we have encountered – we knew the boys were very safe. The staff was also very accommodating to a last minute “freestyle” add on.
Also, our boys are fairly picky eaters yet raved about the camp lunches! We will certainly be looking forward to taking more camps next summer!
Cathy R.
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Thank you for making it a great summer for Cameron! He loved it like he did last year and he is already telling me which camps next year will bring! Thanks again for keeping him safe!
Jessica LaFlamme
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Thanks again for letting Charlee come to camps!! She truly enjoyed herself each day and never wanted to leave. It was a bit weird at first being on the customer side of summer camps instead of the staff side though. But then again, knowing some of the ins and outs that go into running them, I appreciated the experience Charlee had even more. We would roll our eyes when you and Philip would tell us to say the kids names when greeting them in the morning….I get it now, not only did it make me feel at ease that the counselors knew my kid by Tuesday, it also made Charlee smile when counselors she didn’t even have knew who she was. :).
Speaking of mornings, oh my gosh did I love the basketball court meeting each morning and the signs for each camp, so much easier to find where your kid is supposed to go. Nice addition. Long list of compliments cut short, the two weeks she was there were fantastic, the changes you’ve made since my time there have really improved the camps. I’m not sure when the changes were implemented I’m guessing recently on a few of them, kudos and well done to Nikki as well. She’s done a wonderful job! Thanks again Marty!!
Steph
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I wanted to share how great your camp experience was for us. The organization of the many campers, security measures, great staff and overall quality was impressive. Thank you for all if the hard work that I know goes into achieving this! We look forward to coming back!!
Erin Cameron
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Thank you so much! My boys just love it at Oakland yard! You guys do such an amazing job! I always tell other parents how fantastic it is! Thanks again!
Gena Roberts
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Oakland Yard sets the bar in Northern Oakland County for youth summer camp. From its dedicated, energetic, staff to its camp offerings, this is the place to send your kids in the summer. There aren't any other camps in the area that have the amenities, variety, activities, or convenience that Oakland Yard has....and trust me, I've done my homework!
As a working parent, I don't ever need to worry about packing lunch, snacks, or water. This will be our kids 3rd consecutive year attending a full summer at the Yard, and they cannot wait! They come home every day worn out, happy, and excited for the next day. I strongly recommend this program.
Rose Moshier
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My son has been coming to OYA every summer since he was 4! He is 12 now! And he still loves it!
Karen S. McMurray
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Love this place! The camps are great and the counselors are wonderful.
DeAnna Heski Kirksey
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If you are looking for an awesome place for the summertime, this is it!!! Tons of things to do, and they definitely have the market cornered on polite, pleasant, fun counselors & coaches!!!
Melanie Faucher Provencher
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I have been going with my boys for the past three years and I just love Oakland Yard Athletics the staff and activities there are the best. My kids love it there. They're so good to me I can't say enough good things about that place. Thank you for taking care of my boys.
Natalie Tschudin
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I enrolled my 3 yr old Daughter Marci in the Balance Bike Camp Session 1 & 2. And Becca was her counselor. I can not sing enough praises at what a FANTASTIC Job she did with her campers. She is very energetic and enthusiastic about her job. The second session she had quite a rambunctious group of kids (boys) and she was able to handle the chaos (and it got crazy). Marci loved "Miss Becca" and constantly asks about her and when she can go to camp again. That isn't in our plans for the rest of the summer. But I would like to give credit where it is due.
Please relay our gratitude to Miss Becca, and please recognize her for the fantastic Job she is doing. I love all the camps offered, and definitely will be sending Marci again next year, especially if you continue to employ such fantastic counselors like Becca. Thank you!
Tina Grossman
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Please let me take this opportunity to tell you how pleased we are with the service you provide. My kids love coming to OYA! They have already informed me they would like to return again next year. I like the variety of the camps and afternoon activities that are offered for the kids. Not only are they exposed to different sports and activities but it keeps their attention level and I never have to hear they are bored during the summer. They love your team. All of the counselors and staff are friendly, positive and good role models for the kids. I hear stories in the evening about different interactions the kids have with the counselors that are almost always accompanied with some giggles. My husband and I appreciate knowing the kids are safe, well taken care of, entertained and exposed to so many positive experiences when we are at work.
Lydia Glusko
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We want to thank the entire Oakland Yards team for offering such wonderful youth programs! Our Children are currently participating in a few different camps and Friday night soccer . We could not be more pleased with the camp counselors and soccer coaches. The staff is AMAZING with the children! the environment is not only fun and enriching but safe! Oakland Yards is the only place that we feel 100% comfortable leaving our children and 100% confident that they will have a great time! We're so fortunate to have Oakland Yards in our community and look forward to our children being part of it for years to come!
Rob, Brandi, Cooper, & Carter Aquilina
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I would like to take a second and thank you and your team. We have never participated in any activities at Oakland Yard and I can’t tell you how impressed I was. Your team was professional and more importantly fun. My son has never played soccer before and he cannot wait to come back. Thank you again!
Becky Holznagle
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Dear Management and Staff, I just wanted to personally thank all of you for another fantastic summer at OYA. My son, Michael McMillan has had a great time for his 5th year in attendance.
There is no better place for a kid to spend their summer break than your facility which seems to outdo itself with each passing year.
This year, in particular, I cant' tell you how much I appreciate the extra effort everyone took in looking out for Michael the week he wasn't feeling well and tending to him until he could be picked up.
Outstanding effort in both communication and coordination on everyone's part! You guys are the BEST!!
Lea Ann Losin
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Aside from the physical setup of your premises, which is great and much better than YMCA, there's a lot of little details on the human level that make a big difference.
The fact that Philip and you were there, showed that you are involved and behind your staff and, in turn, ensures that everyone cares.
Eric asked me about him putting sun lotion on Aydan and said they would do it 2 or 3 times a day.
At YMCA, Aydan was not applied any sun protection.
After the things I'd read in parents magazine, this was a big concern.
So I felt confident that this guy cared !
I guess, the drop off experience really felt like family - tomorrow, I'm almost expecting to be served breakfast ;- )
Also, tonight at pickup, I found the same smiles despite the fact that everybody must have been tired.
People were still nice. The gates were closed and filtered by a nice guy which made me feel that Aydan was safe.
Dawn was there too, nice and smiling, which I thought was really great.
The girl at your front desk said goodbye 'Aydan', while I'm pretty sure it's the first day she saw him, yet she knew and readily remembered his name !
I thought it was pretty amazing.
Thanks for doing all that!
Mike Roman
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It is a pleasure to recommend Oakland Yard summer and winter camps.
My two children (now ages 13 and 10) have attended their summer camps every year for the last 8 years now, and I have nothing but great things to say about the owners (Marty and Philip), the staff, the facilities and the overall organization.
Marty and Philip are there every day observing, assisting, and making sure things run well.
They are extremely involved and really care about details.
Each year they have added new camps expanding their many offerings.
The staff in particular is top notch, they really do enjoy having fun with the kids.
The facilities are safe, secure, wide ranging and yet easily visible.
They offer many perks appreciated by parents and kids (ie camp membership, summer parties, financial incentives, etc.).
Both of my children have attended their winter soccer camps as well.
These camps have helped them keep up with soccer skills during the off season plus have lots of fun in doing so.
My children have attended many other camps throughout the years at various otherlocations. While some have been quite nice, some not so great, - none can equal the overall variety and quality at Oakland Yard.
I would highly recommend Marty and Philip's Oakland Yard programs to anyone.
Joyce Sullivan
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Dear Marty, Philip & All Camp Staff, I want to thank you for making Max's first camp experience at Oakland Yard so wonderful!
He has enjoyed himself very much and just asked today if there were winter camps at OYA too.
I really appreciate everyone working with Max's food allergies.
He has grown up being different and not eating the same things as his classmates for school parties etc.
These past two weeks he has experienced a sense of independence and at the same time he has felt just like on of the kids.
Max may not have had the same lunch as the other kids but his mom didn't pack a lunch.
He stood in line and waited for his lunch just like everyone else.
This meant a lot to him and me.
So, thank you for always checking to see what was for lunch, calling me to read off the ingredient lists and making chicken nuggets especially for Max when there was something he could not eat.
We are glad that Oakland Yard was part of our summer fun and we look forward to returning next year!
Karen Meirow
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Dear Philip & Marty, thank you for providing my grandson with a week of fun and more fun. He never wanted to leave camp. You should be very proud of your facilities, programs and counselors who make it all happen.
Great Job Guys! Again, I thank you both for your kindness.
Ross Herron
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Philip & Marty, I have sent a few people to the Yard this summer and they're all as pleased as we have been in past years. You have great camps and exceptional staff. The kids LOVE to come there--Keep up the great work!
Janice Dawson & Family
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When we moved to south east Michigan, my kids were 9 and 8.
I learned about "The Yard" at it has come to be known in our home, from a father on my son's new hockey team.
He raved about the activities and the people who worked there.
Sooner than planned, I was offered a job and needed daycare fast.
I came into the office and with the help of the awesome staff, had my kids enrolled for the entire summer.
It was the best thing that could have happened for my kids.
They went from knowing no one to having tons of friends and tons of fun.
They continued to come back to camp every year until they were too old.
They both became counselors in training and now they are counselors.
It has been a tremendous learning experience for them - to go from camper to counselor.
As counselors they draw on the memories they made during all those years of summers full of fun and activity.
There is a special place in my heart for "The Yard" As a mother, knowing my kids were having fun and being well cared for made it so much easier to go back to work.
Thank you for providing this awesome experience for the many children who attend your camp each year.
Julie Johnson
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Great for all ages...
Camp, Driving Range, All Sports My daughter is 4 and goes to summer camp at the Oaklandyard in Waterford Michigan. She loves going to camp there and I know she is in great hands with an excellent staff.
Keep up the good work OYA!
