Today's cover story introduced readers to the wide variety of summer camps in the Elgin area. When I set out to write the story, I figured the job would be easy -- call up a few park districts and put together a list. That was before I knew just how many camps each school and park district offered!

As I compiled the information for this article, I had to make a tough decision. Not all of the information was going to fit into the printed Courier-News.

The article published today focused on academic, traditional outdoor and fine arts camps. I had to leave sports camps out.

The main reason behind this decision was the belief that most kids who are interested in sports and improving athletic skills are already researching camps or have heard about them through their respective school athletic departments.

But don't fret, dear readers, I've included plenty of sports and fitness camp information here. Scroll through to learn more about what local YMCA, school and park districts are offering...

Village of South Elgin
Sports offered: Volleyball, lacrosse, flag football, cheer leading, youth fitness and roller hockey

School District U46
Sports offered: Baseball, basketball, cheerleading, soccer, volleyball, wrestling, softball, tennis, cross country, football, strength and gymnastics

Northern Illinois University
Sports offered: Tennis, baseball, soccer, cheerleading, softball, volleyball, wrestling, football, basketball, cross country/track and field

Links to more sports camps, after the jump