What Are These Camps Like?

To understand what this camp is like, some basic principles are important. First, our games are face-to-face – we do no videogames, and in fact we ask that gaming electronics are left at home or in the backpack. Second, everyone at the camp is a gamer. Our campers are smart, strategic thinkers who love to be challenged and to grow into ever greater levels of challenge. These two basics together mean that we offer high level competition for those who are ready, and excellent help and coaching for those who are new. We enjoy competition in a cooperative environment. We have campers who have been with us multiple weeks every summer for many years, and so are expert in a broad variety of games. They win a lot, but they are very helpful for beginners, offering excellent advice and even materials for those getting started. It’s a daily occurrence to see a high school student who is a multi-year veteran Stratagemics camper, offering beginners good advice on getting started, and even cards or game pieces above and beyond what comes with the camp. For a younger child, it means a lot to hear from a mentor, “I was just like you a few years ago, and here’s what will help you get better.”

The General Plan

Our camps encourage playing games! Each day, whenever a camper plays any game, win or lose, they receive experience points (XP). XP is converted into prize points at the end of the day. Multiplayer games give double XP, trying a new game gives triple XP, and teaching a new game gives 4x, so everyone is encouraged to try or teach new games. All of our games fit into one category or another, and top players in each category at the end of the week win extra prize points. Prize points can be traded with other players, or exchanged on the last day for new-in-box game gear. Campers sometimes organize tournaments or RPG sessions themselves, and each day somewhere between noon and 1pm, we go outside for lunch and outdoor gaming. Ultimate Frisbee has been our outdoor game of choice, but outside time is free time, so anyone who wants to play is welcome, and those who don't are free to do other things. After about 40 minutes, we head back inside to cool off and dive back in.

Beginners

Most of the new people who come to our camps are new to one or more of the games we play, and have no game gear of their own. We knew this would happen when we started the camps, so we have loaners available for every game, as well as thousands of free cards and other game pieces. Because of the XP structure we covered above, our experienced players are encouraged, even incentivized to help the beginners, so there are always opportunities to learn something new. By the end of the week, beginners can figure out which games they liked the most, and convert their prize points into game gear for their favorites, so that they can continue to play at home, with friends, or in future camp weeks.

A Typical Day at the Camp

We follow a general plan for each day, but we adjust according to the needs of the group. Doors open at 9, and open gaming begins right away. Summer is casual time, so some of our campers come in a little later than others, but that works, because it gives us time to teach new games, or to refine skills. Beginners learn how things work, and how to play some games, while the experienced players dive right in. We enjoy quite a bit of freedom of movement, so players can move around as they need to, and they can have snacks or drinks when they want. We typically go outside around 12 or 12:30, for about 30 – 45 minutes. We have a large campus, so we can play large scale games like Ultimate Frisbee. Once we’ve had our fill of outside time, we come back in and cool off, after which we jump right back in. During that time, we do coaching, deck-building, board games, trading, planning for the next day’s gaming, and lots of any number of card game variants. We often finish the day with a full group session of “Are You a Werewolf?”, a large group/party game.

The End of the Day

When campers first arrive on their first day, they are given a table on the perimeter of the room, where they can keep anything they brought or acquire during the course of the week, for the whole week. Therefore, campers who have a lot of their own game gear will not have to haul it back and forth every day. When they leave at 5, they can just bring their lunchbox and maybe a deckbox, and they’re good to go. We have found that our campers are typically having such a great time, that the time flies by, and they want to stay longer every day! Don’t be dismayed if you’re greeted with a groan. It’s not you, it’s the camp! If you'd like to see some short video clips of typical days, scroll down.

Camp Staff

Stratagemics is led by Curt Frueh, a North Carolina and National Board Certified Teacher (grades 1-6) with 38 years of experience working with children and youth, 30 of those being in Montessori upper elementary classrooms, in both private and public schools. He is a Yale graduate with advanced certification in Math instruction from UNCC, and a Master’s Degree, with Red Cross training in First Aid and CPR. Mr. Frueh was an instructor with the very popular Charlotte Chess Academy for eighteen years, and for three years worked with the UNCC/Providence Day School summer Math CAMMP program, primarily as a technology instructor. His chess club at Amay James/Park Road Montessori won many tournaments including three state titles. Mr. Frueh is married with two grown children.

Click below for videos of typical days.