Maine Golf & Tennis Academy ripoff CAMP NIGHTMARE Beware of this camp! Belgrade Maine

As some rebuttals have stated, the reports here are fabricated and false. To maintain such a high standard as the Maine Golf and Tennis Academy, it is hard work. As a former employee I can surely attest to this. Some people are unable to meet the demands and challenges and are resentful after the fact, which is exactly what appears to have caused the original scathing review. As an additional voice I can confirm that the rumors are FALSE.

Having attended this camp for several seasons I can say without a doubt that the Maine Golf and Tennis Academy really cares about the fun and personal progress of each camper. Unlike other camps, there is ample opportunity for growth and skill development for dedicated young athletes with skilled professionals and expansive facilities. There also is an impressive compliment of activities when they are not training and for the younger children.

Regardless of age or aptitude, the needs of every camper is taken into account for the best experience possible for their stay. At the camp it's the goal of every pro, counsellor, and employee that ALL of the campers have FUN and make progress EVERY DAY. You're getting what you pay for.

I have just come across the shocking nonsense posted about Maine Golf and Tennis camp and Joel Lavenson the director. I worked several seasons at the camp and I can completely counteract all the statements made as patently false. They are either a total hoax or a disgruntleed former employee who failed miserably to manage the very demanding experience of being a camp counsellor or has some personal reason to want to write this bizarre review.

I hope parents and potential staff dismiss it completely.  Working at a sleepaway camp is an overwhelming job for counsellors, especially their first few summers. I sense the person who wrote the review was just not prepared for the demands of the job, or else had some serious personal problems with reality. The story about not enough food, etc....just stupid and obvious nonsense.

The entire review is transparent and I hope no one believes a word of it. Of course therei are bugs in the cabins, of course their are international staff. Of course there are kitchen staff who work at minimal wages. But the camp pays the expense of bringing them to the US and many other fees to provide the opportunity to them. They are under contract from a service which handles all the paperwork and travel arrangements. It is the same for kitchen staff, and international counsellors at all camps in the US. There are many benefits beyond the pay. That goes for the non international staff too.

It is very very hard work and not huge pay. But it's an experience you cannot duplicate any other way. It is a very uniqe and wonderful way to learn a lot about yourself, your inner demons, children, friends, and getting along with strangers. It is not for the faint of heart and not for everyone. It is very stressful. Not everyone who starts the summer makes it though the season. But if you do you will come away enriched well beyond the cash you earn. 

I am a teacher and experienced summer camp senior staff and have worked more than 10 summers at camps in the US and Canada. I started camp work when I was in college, first at day camps, then at sleepaway camps in upstate NY including Farm Camp Lowey, Camp Lokanda, Vrindavan in California, Navajo Trails in Utah, Mawavi in Virginia, Val Morin in Canada, etc. I have worked at sleepaway camps run by agencies such as the Campfire Council, private camps, ACA certified camps, Yoga camps, High Adventure Trip Camps, and more traditional camps which were more like country clubs in the woods.

After I got married and had kids I became a teacher and took my kids to summer camps with me. So I have a wide exposure to the subculture of summer camping. It is a wondrous thing! And of all the camps I worked at, and all the directors I have worked for, I have to say Maine Golf and Tennis in Kennebec Maine is one of the most outstanding examples of the very best that summer camp culture has to offer, both for staff and campers.

The Lavensons are professionals with a deep seated love of camping and children. Joel's grandmother owned a camp and it was a family tradition he always longed to carry on. From a background of managing sports professionally as well as many years in the hotel industry, he combined the facility management experience with his deep devotion to professional sports, with his professional family counselling expertise to craft a camp facility and program that is first class in every way. Kennebec had a long history from early in the 1900s as an all boys outdoor camp.

Joel added girls and widened the program to embrace a more contemporary approach, invested several fortunes into renovations and upgrades to the facility, and goes to great lengths to ensure that the very best staff possible are recruited and trained. He works hard to make sure the staff have a nourishing and enriching experience as well as the campers.  Safety standards are the best possible, care of each and every camper's needs are foremost, and FUN FUN FUN is what this camp offers. SKILLS....tangible SKILLS are another essential at this camp. The staff are highly trained professionals and kids that want to improve skills cannot do better in terms of the lengths the staff go to work with each kid to improve at their desired sport or activity. 

I could go on and on about how great this camp is. I still have friends from Spain and Italy that I made working at this camp. My kids had extraordinary summers at this camp. I can be reached to discuss the camp further at jmooney@earthlink.net (not sure if this site strips out email addresses.) But take it from a teacher, highly experienced senior camp staff, and parent of campers. It doesn't get any better than Maine Golf and Tennis Camp and the Lavenson's caring approach. Your children will be taken care of as if they were the owner's own. As staff you will come away exhausted from a summer of hard, very demanding work. But you will have been forced to grow rapidly both personally and professionally, you will be well fed and in great shape from the experience and you will have great memories to last a lifetime. 

I was a camper at MGTA (Maine Golf and Tennis Academy) for a few years and I absolutely loved it. By far, the best summers of my life were at this camp. I played tennis there and the coaches are wonderful, informed, and very good at what they do. Yes, the cabins can get really warm during the day and pretty cold at night, but all in all that's something that every camp has too. 

I felt very offended at the report on MGTA. This camp has helped me grow into the person I am today. Some of my best friends I met at this camp. The waterfront, although I hardly ever went because I played tennis most of the time, is almost always open and there is an array of different activities to do (swimming, sailing, water sporting, etc.). 

I'll admit, the cabins are buggy, but the camp is in Maine! Maine is FULL of bugs. I also own a summer house here in Maine. There are bugs there too. Common fact. As for Joel, he's a very nice man. He's the Uncle of one of my best friends and I know that he would never, ever, do what was described. He's not a mean and vile person as the reporter painted him to be. I've had great conversations with him.

To parents who want to send their kids to MGTA: This camp is amazing! It's got everything a kid could ask for in a sports camp: Wonderful staff, good campers, fun activities, and amazing experiences to be had. I give this camp a 10/10!

I am currently employed by the camp and have been with Joel and Crista for the past 3 years. I can say with certainty that the statements on this page are false and outrageous. First of all, the camper cabins, showers, and phones are NOT tapped. My role at the camp involves an intimate level of interaction with the technical aspects of the camp and I would definitely notice if this were the case. I have for example, installed all the phones myself.

I have installed a couple of video cameras on camp, but they do not invade any kind of privacy. They point at very public OUTSIDE locations, like the waterfront and main circle. There are no cameras near showers or bathrooms of any kind. They only are used as an informational aid so that Joel doesn't have to be everywhere at once, and in the future they may be integrated into the website for parent viewing. They do NOT record, and they aren't turned on all of the time.

From what I have seen in my time at the camp, the kids are happy and enjoying themselves. There are frequent activities and trips for them to participate in and lots of time for them to have fun with new friends. If they kids didn't like the place, why would so many of them come back?

MGTA is not the prison camp that some people make it out to be. We try our best to provide sound sports coaching, rounded with fun activities and play time.

I am currently employed by the camp and have been with Joel and Crista for the past 3 years. I can say with certainty that the statements on this page are false and outrageous. First of all, the camper cabins, showers, and phones are NOT tapped. My role at the camp involves an intimate level of interaction with the technical aspects of the camp and I would definitely notice if this were the case. I have for example, installed all the phones myself.

I have installed a couple of video cameras on camp, but they do not invade any kind of privacy. They point at very public OUTSIDE locations, like the waterfront and main circle. There are no cameras near showers or bathrooms of any kind. They only are used as an informational aid so that Joel doesn't have to be everywhere at once, and in the future they may be integrated into the website for parent viewing. They do NOT record, and they aren't turned on all of the time.

From what I have seen in my time at the camp, the kids are happy and enjoying themselves. There are frequent activities and trips for them to participate in and lots of time for them to have fun with new friends. If they kids didn't like the place, why would so many of them come back?

MGTA is not the prison camp that some people make it out to be. We try our best to provide sound sports coaching, rounded with fun activities and play time.

I have been employed by MGTA and have found that this article is all lies. Beyond respose- who ever wrote this ought to be ashamed. This is not even close to real material. The Maine Golf and Tennis Academy is a great place run by great people. Tom Leinberger, Chris Langdon, Joel Lavenson, Crista Lavenson to name a few. In the short time I was able to work with these people it was very evident that the absolute 1st priority to them was the children. I am sad for you and hope that none of your garbage swayed people from going to such a good place. I highly suggest MGTA for anyone who is interested and this is the truth. 

It was difficult to reconcile what I know about the Maine Golf & Tennis Academy with the Camp Nightmare Letter. So I requested
"The Rest of the Story" from the owners.
Here is what I learned and what you should know :

From: Dan Billings [mailto:dbillings@gwi.net]
Sent: Monday, December 20, 2004 1:53 PM
To: info@RipOffReport.com
Subject: Maine Golf & Tennis Academy

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff100858.htm


The report on your website concerning the Maine Golf & Tennis Academy was written by the wife of a disgruntled former employee of the camp and is completely untrue. The former employee and his wife sent out several e-mail making similar claims last summer. They have since retracted the statements and apologized for their actions.

A copy of their e-mail retracting the statements and apologizing is pasted below. Under these circumstances it would be appropriate for you to remove the post from your site. Please let me know if you need any further information to get this accomplished.


Daniel Billings, Esq.

Marden Dubord Bernier & Stevens



To everyone,

My name is Ted and I recently sent you and many others an e-mail about the Maine Golf Academy and its owners, Joel and Crista Lavenson. All of the negative statements that I made in the e-mail are untrue. There is absolutely no basis for the statements made in the e-mail. All the statements were made up by me. Neither my family nor I ever visited the camp as a potential client or parent as I stated in my e-mail.

In fact, I was recently employed by the Maine Golf Academy. I went to the camp to work for the summer and was accompanied by my wife, our one year old daughter, and our dog. We were provided nice, recently renovated accommodations at the camp and were treated appropriately at all times during my employment by the camp. My e-mail to you was an attempt to damage my former employer due to bad feelings that I had about my departure from the camp.

As a former employee, I have seen the camp and retract all statements made regarding hidden video surveillance in children's cabins and showers. These statements are completely unsubstantiated and untrue. Food was of good quality and prepared daily in good quantities for the staff and the children. I did not witness any violence while at the camp and I have no reason to believe that any such violence ever occurred.

The buildings of the camp were in good condition with windows and new screens, as well as fresh paint and polyurethane floors. To be honest, the camp looked very nice.

I have spoken to campers and staff members since leaving the camp and I am told that the work load is enjoyable and that the children are happy. I did not witness any mistreatment of counselors or campers and there is no reason to believe that the statements made about mistreatment in my e-mail are true.

I apologize to the owners of the Maine Golf Academy, Joel and Christa Lavenson, and to the recipients of my e-mail titled CAMP NIGHTMARE. I regret my actions and this experience is one that I will never forget or repeat.


Ted

The information in the "Camp Nightmare" Post is most certainly way off base.

My company has had a consulting relationship with this Camp for the past 3 years. I have seen hundreds of happy Campers & Parents. The owners have integrity & know how to provide a safe and wholesome experience for all Campers.

The qualified staff and wonderful Maine setting provide an excellent backdrop for an experience that will last a lifetime. The skills acquired at this Camp will insure that Campers learn how to build a life of integrity and meaning.

The Golf & Tennis instruction is good enough to be named by Sports Illustrated for Kids as the Best in the Nation (March 2007). But the life skills learned at this family oriented Camp will be the reason you call this experience the best investment you can make for your child's future.