Ahhh, summer! A perfect time of year for families to go on vacation, spend time together, and inevitably put their children in summer camp for most of the summer to kill the time and keep them entertained. Luckily for several families, the Phillies Daycare has been in full swing to take care of their youth, taking them on amazing trips throughout the country while letting them play baseball!
But alas, with the coming of the All-Star Break comes an unfortunate pause to the Phillies Daycare festivities. But the Phillies have been here before. Two years ago, the Phillies’ delayed Spring Training was known as Summer Camp. But before then, the Phillies hosted a little-known camp for their youth during the All-Star Break.
Following the success of the start-up Phillies Daycare program this season, the Phillies have made the decision to bring back the one-of-a-kind summer camp for their families to fill the gaps until the regular season resumes on Friday, July 22nd. And so, the Phillies Summer Camp, for the first time since 2019, has returned!
Camp Details
Phillies Summer Camp will take place at a little lake up in the Poconos, a perfect location with access to water sports, a zip-line, several cabins, a large theater, sporting fields, and so much more! There will be competitions, arts & crafts, music, team-building activities, skits, hiking, and general free time for whatever the campers’ rambunctious hearts desire.
Campers will arrive from Miami (and from Allentown for applicable Lehigh Valley members) on Sunday night with time to settle in and get comfortable before enjoying four full days of fun in the sun. Then, on Friday morning, two buses will depart for Allentown and Philadelphia in time for the athletes to return to their respective Daycare locations.
The Phillies Daycare Roster
Now, let’s take a look at the Phillies Summer Camp roster.
Alec Bohm is no stranger to the Phillies Summer Camp program. A camp veteran, Bohm knows the campground like the back of his hand. Standing at 6’5″, he is always taken in the first round of the 3v3 basketball tournament. Over-competitive, he is known for the occasional rant if he puts in a bad game, but the counselors know it is just a coping mechanism and he will be right as rain in an hour.
Darick Hall joined the Daycare recently and is looking forward to diving in, and going deep. Hall is a heavy-hitter in backyard football, but also excels at making gimp as well. An Arizona kid, he is used to the heat, so Hall will likely be found out in the sun all week.
Matt Vierling is a kid that loves to be out on the water. Want to go out on a kayak? Vierling’s your guy. Want to go out to the middle of the lake and have someone rocket you off the blob? Bring Matt. Need someone to just come and sit by the water with your favorite adult beverage (remember these kids are adults!) bring Matt Vierling!
Bailey Falter and Cristopher Sanchez will be roommates at camp and will seldom be seen apart. Throwing partners and the only pitchers at camp this year, they will likely spend much of the break throwing the ball around and talking shop. Kings at blitzball, the pair are the favorites to win the camp’s tournament as no one else can pitch. Pitch count may be a concern, but since both of them can pitch, they can normally work their way to a 1-0 victory, keeping the other arm fresh for the next opponent. Word is they will also win the annual balloon toss as well.
Scott Kingery was invited back to Summer Camp this summer. Kingery is the kid that aged out of the camp, but he’s a good enough kid that the counselors let him come back for one more year. A bit of a teacher’s pet, he’ll go do just about anything you ask him to do… just not well. Don’t get me wrong, he tries his best, but his best just does not make the cut sometimes. Never the camp MVP, Kingery is just happy to be there, having fun with the boys.
Nick Maton may still be recovering from his injury, but he is set to make his way back out to Summer Camp yet again. An avid wake-boarder, Maton will find himself on the waters many times throughout the week, despite the camp nurse telling him not to. When he’s not on the water, Maton is sitting outside of his cabin, plucking away on a six-string.
The new kid on the block, Bryson Stott is looking forward to a few days away at Summer Camp. An ace at spike ball, Stott will have some time away from his oppressive roommate (cough, cough, Bryce Harper) and get to spend some time getting to know the rest of the boys. An early favorite for the Summer Camp Rookie of the Year award, Stott will likely fall short of the title as he is scheduled to leave Summer Camp early to spend the back half of the break with family back in Las Vegas.
Last but not least, Mickey Moniak. The former No. 1 overall pick has been a highly touted member of Summer Camp in the past. A bad boy vibe with some tattoos down his arm, Moniak has seemingly lost his competitive spirit, becoming the last man picked on the schoolyard. Sitting out of most events, Mickey wins the 50-yard dash, but fails to convert on his athletic prowess at camp. Instead, he wanders around camp, stirring up trouble.
A Week Away
Word on the street is this great adventure is going to be the best thing ever. With a cast of characters like this, the Phillies Summer Camp is bound to be a success, so grab your swim trunks, your Polaroid camera, and all of your favorite junk food and get ready for a week away from the doldrums of the season!
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Photo Credit: AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan
