Frequently Asked Questions

Getting to the U.S. Naval Academy

• What airports serve the USNA?

  • Baltimore Washington Airport (BWI) - is the preferred airport which is located 25 miles from the Naval Academy and generally is  the easiest airport to get in and out of.

  • Reagan National Airport (DCA) - is about 40 miles away, but is affected by Washington DC traffic and travel time may be between 50 minutes and two hours.

  • Dulles Airport (IAD) is in Northern Virginia and about 55 miles away from the Naval Academy, is affected by Washington DC traffic,  and travel time may be between one and two hours.

• What are the driving directions to the camp registration at the Navy Marine Corps Stadium?

  • Please refer to the above map link for the Navy Marine Corps Stadium.

• Does the Naval Academy provide a shuttle service to and from airports or train stations?

  • No - Unfortunately, we can no longer provide an airport shuttle or transportation to and from transportation terminals.

    • Our midshipmen typically utilize  nationally recognized ride share services  to travel to and from the BWI airport. These rideshare services typically cost about $50 each way, but can be shared by multiple campers if they are traveling with teammates, etc.

    • Should campers encounter unusual situations or delays with airline travel, the camp staff will coordinate with the campers/parents to prevent campers being stranded.

Lodging and Roommates

• Where do I stay at overnight camps?

  • Athletes are lodged in the Bancroft Hall, the  historic dormitory building of the United States Naval Academy. These dormitory rooms are a variety of doble occupancy, triple occupancy and quad occupancy rooms. the quad occupancy rooms are separated into two double occupancy rooms. Each athlete has a desk, a chair, a bed with a twin XL mattress, and a closet. Each room has a private shower and wash sink area. The gender specific latrines are located in each hallway.

• Can I request a roommate?

  • Yes! Please request roommates on your registration form. You can request a roommate that has not yet signed up, but you believe will sign up. If you did not request a roommate when you registered for camp, but a friend is now signing up, have them rest you as a roommate.

• Can I request more than one roommate?

  • Yes. You can name a few roommates on your registration, but often, we will only be able to place athletes with one of the requested roommates due to the limitations of the dorm bed configurations.

• If I do not request a roommate, how will my roommate(s) be assigned?

  • We will cohort roommates of similar ages.

  • We will attempt to cohort roommates from common teams unless advised otherwise.

• Your rooming assignments will be provided to you when you check-in at camp.

Hotels

• Does the Naval Academy have any recommended hotels and lodging for families, etc.?

  • Yes, our official lodging partners are on our Navysports.com website

    • https://navysports.com/sports/2018/5/23/sponsorship-preferred-hotels-html

    • Use corporate code "NRT" for Marriott reservations.

  • Note: our discount codes and corporate rates are subject to availability and hotel occupancy for the dates requested.

Meals

• Where do athletes eat their meals?

  • During camp, athletes will dine at the King Hall (overnight camps - breakfast, lunch & dinner)

    • Please note that since King Hall is a restricted area, no family or visitors are authorized in King Hall.

    • King Hall does have a dress code that is strictly enforced.

      • Athletes must wear closed toed shoes

      • No sleeveless shirts are allowed regardless of gender.

      • Short pants are allowed, but must be appropriate for dining (i.e. no swimsuits)

    • King Hall does not provide any special diet meals, however, a variety of food items are available at each meal.

  • For one or two meals during camp, weather permitting, the athletes will be chaperoned to Downtown Annapolis for a lunch or dinner meal to experience the DTA atmosphere and city dock area. Athletes will be responsible for purchasing their own meal at one of the over 30 restaurants/delis in the immediate DTA area.

What Can I Buy at Camp?

• Camp Store:

  • The camp store will be open at the Scott Natatorium each afternoon and/or evening for campers to purchase Navy Water Polo Clothing items if desired. Navy Water Polo men's turbo brand suits will also be available for purchase (cash or old fashioned checks may be used for these purchases).

  • Gatorade/Sports drink bottles, and snacks will be available for purchase at the dorm at selected times of the day/evening.

    • Note: rehydration water, sports drinks, drinks and paper cups will be available on the pool deck for consumption during training sessions.

  • An ATM is available at the Navy Federal Credit Union branch located immediately adjacent to the Scott Natatorium.

Medical Concerns

• Do campers need to get pre-camp physicals or do we need to complete medical forms for camp?

  • No sports physicals are required for camp.

  • No medical forms need to be completed other than the questions that are answered in the original camp registration.

• Are there athletic trainers available at camp?

  • All Navy Water Polo Camps will have a certified athletic trainer assigned to the camp. There will be a certified athletic trainer and/or a certified first aid provider at every training venue during the camp. In addition, there will be a certified athletic trainer available at the Bancroft Dorm during all non-training hours of the day and night.

• What do I do about medications that I either take regularly or keep with me for emergency use (i.e.. epinephrine, inhalers, etc.)?

  • Campers may bring their prescription medications which must be properly prescribed and marked for that camper.  Campers will maintain possession of their medications. Our athletic trainers are not authorized to store, hold or maintain any camper personal medications.

• Can the athletic trainer staff and first aid staff administer medications to campers?

  • Our athletic trainers and first aid staff are prohibited by state protocols from providing or administering over the counter (OTC) or prescription medications to campers. The exception to this would be that athletic trainers and first aid staff can administer life saving medications (i.e. EpiPens) in accordance with the specific state protocols.

• Do I need to bring medical forms with me to camp?

  • No. There are no requirements for campers to provide any medical forms or written information at check in or during camp. We will not accept medical records or forms at check-in due to HIPPA laws.

• Are there any requirements regarding COVID19 vaccinations?

  • Neither the U.S. Naval Academy nor the Navy Sports Camps have any requirements for any COVID19 vaccination status or any documentation of COVID19 vaccinations.

What to Bring

• A attitude of Fun and Enthusiasm

• PACK LIGHT! You will be wearing a bathing suit for most of the day!

• Photo ID (drivers license, school photo ID, passport card, or laminated photocopy of passport photo page (recommended but not required if athlete does not have any photo or school ID)

• Towels (for shower and pool)

• Bedding – You will be staying at Bancroft Hall and each bed has a twin XL mattress. You are welcome to bring sheets and pillows, etc. if you wish or you may bring a sleeping bag. While rooms are air conditioned, they will not be cold. Light bedding is quite sufficient.

• Notebook and pen

•  A small backpack to carry all of this stuff

• A locker padlock for room locker and/or pool locker (optional)

• Clothing items

  • Two suits for water polo competition

  • Swim goggles and an extra pair for when you break or lose your first pair

  • Athletic clothing, shorts and t-shirts and athletic shoes  (running shoes) (closed toed shoes and t-shirts with sleeves are required for entrance in the King Hall dining facility).

  • Pool deck footwear or flip flops if desired

• Spending $ for meals in town and for snacks and for optional clothing/gear purchase. (Venmo and credit cards may also be used for these purchases)

• You may bring a mobile phone, but please do not lose it or drop it in the pool. The phone should be used for important communication with parents, etc. during travel and the like, but the phone should not interfere with your sleep and should not be a proxy video game platform at camp.

• May Bring:

  • Book to read

  • Frisbee or sports ball for down time recreation

  • Refillable water bottle

  • Healthy snacks such as Clif bars, protein bars, etc. to help you refuel between meals.

What not to Bring

• Anything that your parents would not allow you to have at home!

• Anything that would be dangerous or harmful to others.

• Video games, computer monitors, other valuable electronics, loud music boxes, etc. (you should be ready to sleep for the night after three water polo sessions each day)

SEAL Camp

• How much of the day is SEAL training and how much is water polo training?

  • Typically, each day will have three sessions. One of those sessions will typically be SEAL Training while the remainder of the sessions will be water polo training.

• What special equipment/supplies should be brought for the SEAL Camp?

  • In addition to the "What to Bring" list for all other camps, athletes at the SEAL Camp should also bring the following.

    • One pair of military style uniform pants to wear during O-Course, E-Course, Boat Evolutions, etc. Below is a link to the Navy's current uniform pants, but any current or past style of any military style uniform pants is acceptable. This type of uniform pants are necessary for some of the SEAL Training evolutions which include navigating through brush, climbing ropes, etc.

      •  https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/References/US-Navy-Uniforms/Uniform-Regulations/Uniform-Components/3603_5/ 

      • These military style uniform pants are most often found with camo prints or solid green/tan colored cargo pants. They can be purchased locally at military or uniform supply stores or surplus stores, or they can be purchased online. You may also have a friend or relative that can loan you pants. It is recommended that athletes try on their pants prior to camp to assure a comfortable working fit as they will be wearing these in training activities.

    • Three solid white crew neck T-shirts to wear during SEAL training. Please carefully print your last name on the back of the T-shirt with a permanent black marker, using block capital letters, 3 inches high.

    • Two pair of athletic running shoes

    • Eight pairs of athletic running/hiking socks (Plan to use each pair of socks twice after washing them in your room, otherwise, bring 15 pairs)

Refunds

• Are there any registration fee refunds if I cannot attend a camp for which I am registered to attend??

  • If you need to withdraw from camp prior to check in time, it is the camp policy to issue a refund to the payment method that you used to register (i.e. your credit card). A $100 administrative fee will be withheld from that refund to cover camp administrative costs that have already been incurred.