August 2025 heralds the return of a Rising Stars cornerstone event. On August 25, Rising Stars will bring back one of the foundation's most popular and enduring events, a cornerstone for 30 years: the end-of-summer four-day camp. This event has not been a part of the Rising Stars calendar since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
We asked Rising Stars founder Paul Savramis about the long hiatus and why this event is so special.
Q: We see on the website and in your newsletters that you're bringing back the end-of-summer camp. Why now, and why have you waited so long?
Paul Savramis: COVID-19 was a terrible time for everyone and very hard for children. It made all activities a challenge even after full restrictions were lifted. It was especially challenging not having a facility of our own and having to navigate around restrictions set by various other sites.
Q: That must have been a very difficult obstacle, but we saw you still decided against offering that event even when you opened the new Rising Stars complex.
Paul Savramis: That's true. We tried various other summer programs, including a summer league, half-day camps, and evening programs. It was a question of how much programming would be too much during the summer.
Q: Is that a question of what you believed today's kids want to do?
Paul Savramis: Partially, yes. Kids are doing so much more today that a camp like what we offered so long ago might be dated, especially when offered right before school started.
Q: So what made you decide to try it again?
Paul Savramis: A few things weighed on that decision. The biggest reason was that families were asking us to bring back a full-day camp, and surprisingly, they kept asking for one at the end of August. Many families were coming home from vacations, and kids were looking to do one more summer event.
Q: We saw that the Rising Stars day camp was an extension of your one-day clinic and a very popular event.
Paul Savramis: That was another deciding factor. We go all-out for those four days. We limit the number of kids, and we have two coaches for every team. Additionally, we bring in older Rising Stars team players to be a part of the activities. Kids love interacting with them.
Q: We also read that you're offering a special treat this year.
Paul Savramis: Yes. We are bringing back Dave Hopla, a basketball legend and a very popular showman nationally. We also are bringing back Rising Stars local fan favorites who now play professionally. Add to that, every day is like a tournament event.
Q: Sounds like it will be a great week. How has the response been after all these years?
Paul Savramis: That was a bit of a concern, but not for very long. The camp filled up almost immediately after the brochures went out and with a long waiting list. It was very rewarding to see that and equally special to see how excited our coaches were to get back in the gym for this.
Time does change how we see everything, and things that were popular at one point are out, with new ones being in. It's a very satisfying thing for us to see a Rising Stars cornerstone event that was so popular when we first started equally exciting for kids today.
