Questions we get asked

The Sports Bonanza is a weekly Friday program that runs for nine weeks, open to boys in PreK through 5th grade. It has been running for over 18 years. The boys are divided into age-appropriate groups and, with strong supervision, practice and play a variety of sports each week -- basketball, football, kickball and soccer, with drills, shooting, defense, passing and game smarts.

Certainly not. The sports counselors, together with Rabbi Drebin, Rabbi Gewirtz and Rabbi Ross, help the boys develop proper techniques and fundamentals. We begin by discussing the skill we're focusing on, then we practice together, and finally we play.

We use the gym, the playground areas, and all of the blacktop and grass fields.

Most boys who say they don't like sports are really saying they aren't as good at it yet. With some motivation and practice, they usually start enjoying it quite a bit. That said, if your son is vehemently opposed to coming, he probably won't gain much from it.

This is an excellent way to give him stronger fundamentals. We also work on sportsmanship and on how to set up a game properly -- which, as it happens, tends to solve the "I'm bored" problem.

Dismissal is staggered by age. The preschool boys start right after Yeshiva and are walked together to the gym at around 12:15; their program ends promptly at 1:20. First and second graders start after Yeshiva, at approximately 12:45, and finish at 1:45. The oldest boys end at 1:55. If a younger boy has an older brother in any Bonanza, he can stay until his brother is dismissed -- ask for it on the registration form, there is no charge.

$300 for one boy, $575 for two, and $825 for three. A one-on-one counselor -- a counselor dedicated to your son for the session -- is $100 more, and spots are VERY limited.

Please don't. The structure of the program makes it a real problem for us -- every time we send the lists out, cancelled names reappear, and we don't get the card fees back either. There are no refunds, though we may be able to give a partial credit if it's genuinely necessary. We also can't offer a trial period: we tend to close out quickly and we hire counselors based on how many boys have signed up.

That depends on how many people sponsor. We know it's a stretch for some families, so if you're able to sponsor at checkout it's genuinely appreciated. If you need to ask for a scholarship, use the contact form -- it comes straight to us and no one else sees it. We can't guarantee them, but please ask. No boy should sit out over money.

Boys in 6th, 7th and 8th grade in YOSS, accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Brothers apply separately. Counselors are trained and take the job seriously. Apply through the site: the application asks for your grade and rebbe, your parents' information, a reference from outside the Yeshiva, and which group you'd like to work with. Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance, even if you were a counselor before.

There is an application fee, and it depends on your grade: $150 for 6th grade, $125 for 7th, and $100 for 8th. If we don't accept you, the fee is refunded. If you're hired and then removed from the program, it isn't. Counselors are paid at the end of the session, based on your grade, how well you worked, and how happy the boys were -- from $30 for a 6th grader up to $100 for some 8th graders, with a bonus for a few of the top staff.

You're working roughly ten Fridays. All counselors meet at 12:00 every Friday on the schedule for training. If you have to miss a week, you must tell us at least three days before that Friday -- through the site or by email. No electronic devices during the program, and no walking off-grounds (7-11, Dunkin) without a rebbe. We're always happy to write a recommendation letter to a camp or a school for a staff member who asks.

You'll get an email from Sports Bonanza with the update. Please don't call the Yeshiva about the Sports Bonanza -- they won't know. Use the contact form or email us directly.

You can sponsor a full child at $300, half a session at $150, or a quarter of a session at $75. Sponsorships are what fund the scholarships, and you can dedicate one l'ilui nishmas or as a zechus for someone.