About CYO/Camp Howard
CYO/Camp Howard presents a deeply split experience. While the 'Camp Howard' summer camp itself offers children memorable and fun, non-fancy experiences with dedicated and caring leadership focused on improvements, the CYO-run basketball league is plagued by severe issues. Parents seeking a summer camp might find value in the positive camper experiences, but those considering the basketball league should be extremely cautious due to widespread referee inconsistencies, perceived bias, and reported unfair treatment of parents.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Children looking for a traditional, non-fancy, and memorable summer camp experience (Camp Howard).Parents who prioritize a camp with dedicated leadership focused on community and improvement (Camp Howard).The CYO basketball league caters to young children, specifically mentioning '3rd graders' (Review 1).The Camp Howard summer program is suitable for pre-teens and early teens, with '12 year-old boys' specifically mentioned (Review 4).General 'kids in our neighborhood' attended the camp for 'years,' suggesting a broader appeal across childhood ages for the summer camp (Review 4).
Why families love it
- Camp Howard provides memorable and fun experiences for children, with kids reportedly coming back with engaging stories (Review 4).
- Camp leadership (Sr. Krista and her team) are described as professional, kind, and deeply caring about the camp and its community (Review 3).
- Active improvements are being made to the camp's facilities and offerings (Review 3).
- Dedicated and caring leadership for the Camp Howard summer program (Sr. Krista and her team) (Review 3).
- The camp offers a non-'fancy' environment, which may appeal to families looking for a more authentic or rustic camp experience (Review 4).
- Ability for children to create lasting, fun memories at the summer camp (Review 4).
Insider tips
- For the summer camp: Focus on the positive camper experiences and the dedicated leadership, but be aware of potential internal management issues that may indirectly affect the experience.
- For the basketball league: Exercise extreme caution. Be prepared for highly inconsistent and potentially biased officiating. Challenging referee calls could lead to severe consequences, including parental bans, with little recourse from the league commissioner.
Good to know before you go
- The CYO basketball league if fair officiating, consistent rule enforcement, or a functional dispute resolution process are priorities (Reviews 1, 2).
- The basketball league if you or your coach are prone to challenging referee calls, as this has led to team-wide parental bans (Reviews 1, 2).
- The Camp Howard summer program if highly organized internal operations, strong staff relations, and professional management are critical factors for your decision (Review 5).
- Widespread reports of biased, inconsistent, and unfair refereeing in the CYO basketball league, particularly from older referees (Reviews 1, 2).
- Referees in the basketball league are accused of using their position to be controlling, disrespectful, and making false accusations (Review 1).
- Crowds
- No specific crowd level information is mentioned for either the camp or the league games.
- Value
- The Camp Howard summer program is described as 'not a 'fancy' camp at all' (Review 4), which may indicate a more value-oriented or rustic pricing, though no specific costs are provided. For the CYO basketball league, the severe negative experiences and unfair treatment described suggest poor value, regardless of the actual cost.
- Food
- No specific food policies are mentioned in the reviews.
- Accessibility
- No specific accessibility accommodations are mentioned in the reviews.
- Safety
- No explicit safety features are mentioned. However, the reported bullying and unfair treatment by referees in the CYO basketball league raise concerns about emotional and ethical safety in that specific program (Review 1).
What parents say
"Because I couldn't give zero stars, My 1 star goes to the referees who chose to be fair instead of enlisting in acts of bigotry. Before every game a 3rd grader would read a prayer and in that prayer there was always a mention of the opposing team being our brothers and sisters. Yet our 3rd graders weren't treated as such. The referees with morals were of the younger generation. The referees that decided they'd use their position to be unfair and controlling were of the X and baby boomer generation (which is no surprise to me.) These old bigots are exactly why this sin sick world fails to thriv"
2 months ago
"I honestly wish that I could give the CYO organization 0 stars! We just ended the basketball season with the CYO and this will be our last. The “seasoned” referees were a joke throughout the season and there was no consistency on what the kids were going to get called on. Each game was a surprise with what was allowed and don’t you even think to ask for any verification on the refs calls! The parents of our entire team were banned from attending any of the tournament games based solely on the words of the refs that were being challenged. We were treated as if we were criminals all because our "
2 months ago
"I had the pleasure of working with Sr. Krista on some improvements of the camp this off season. I can tell her and her team care deeply about the camp and what they can provide to their community. I would highly recommend this camp based on the professionalism and kindness of their team."
11 months ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
More summer camps in Portland
Summer Camps Bird Alliance of Oregon (Formerly Portland Audubon)
4.7(931)4.7 out of 5 stars, 931 reviews5151 NW Cornell Rd, Portland
Summer Camps Mittleman Jewish Community Center
4.6(314)4.6 out of 5 stars, 314 reviews6651 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland
Summer Camps St Johns Community Center
4.5(170)4.5 out of 5 stars, 170 reviews8427 N Central St, Portland
Summer Camps Gilchrist Art Camp
4.9(96)4.9 out of 5 stars, 96 reviews9735 SW Sunshine Ct #500, Beaverton