Frequently asked questions

Campus Experience is the new camp concept that the Real Madrid Foundation is running to enable boys and girls aged 7-17 to enjoy an unforgettable experience. At most sports camps, children only do sport, but the Real Madrid Foundation summer camp goes much further. The best sports club in the world has to offer the best sports camp in the world: distinctive, original, innovative, imaginative, comprehensive and excellent.

Campus Experience is a new type of camp that combines instruction in sport and other fields to become an intensive and enriching educational process for participants. Through training with Real Madrid Foundation coaches, through the games organised by the supervisors and through communal living, participants become steeped in Real Madrid’s values: leadership, hard work, self-control, teamwork and respect for others.

Every year, we have children who have already been with us on previous occasions come back, and they have no hesitation in repeating the Campus Experience. We also have new boys and girls discovering us for the first time. All of them arrive as individuals, but leave as a TEAM.

In principle, Campus Experiences are intended for the summer (normally, from the last week of June to the first week of September). If any sort of camp is organised at other times of year, we will announce it on our website.

We have two locations:
Real Madrid City, which is in Valdebebas, just north of Madrid;
The European University of Madrid campus, which is in Villaviciosa de Odón, south-west of Madrid.

Camps for Day Camp (those in which the participants sleep at home) are always in periods of one week, from Monday to Friday, while those for Residential Camp run from Sunday to Saturday. In the latter format, they will not sleep at home, but will stay with other children in the university halls of residence of the Autonomous University of Madrid or the European University of Madrid, in Villaviciosa de Odón, depending on the programme chosen.

Campus Experiences have a fixed duration. The schools, run directly by the Real Madrid Foundation, are completely different and take place throughout the year.

Football and Real Madrid are core issues whose presence is felt strongly across the board. Along with them, the children will work sequentially on issues relating to the individual (leadership, self-control, hard work), with the collective (teamwork, team spirit, taking part) and with others (solidarity, difference, tolerance, respect for others).
Every day will be themed on a value, on which all the activities will be based:

• MONDAY – INITIATIVE
• TUESDAY – HARD WORK
• WEDNESDAY – SELF-CONTROL
• THURSDAY – TEAMWORK
• FRIDAY – RESPECT FOR OTHERS

The values are involved in all the day-to-day activities.

Every activity (Training, Football Theory or Campus Experience Activities) relates to the value of the day, and both coaches and supervisors try to pass that value on through their own example and the work done.

For example, on the Hard Work day, they work on their football skills, learning that talent alone is not enough: constant hard work is necessary to improve.

On the Teamwork day, classroom teaching is used to explain to them the various tactics and systems used in football, and how to work as one; they are taught that an individual can win a match on their own, but a TEAM wins trophies.

The routine changes depending on the programme type (boarding or non-boarding and, within the latter, half-day), but the participants generally follow this routine:

• First thing in the morning is Training. After each training session, as basic hygiene rule, we ask them to shower and change their clothes, after which we offer them a little snack.
• After training, Football Theory classes are given (information that every sportsperson should know, such as how to stretch properly or eat appropriately).
• The Campus Experience Activity will take place after Football Theory. That is a time for interacting with each other and making friends through games, while learning values that are equally important in sport and in daily life: respect, hard work, self-control and teamwork.
• The supervisors, who work for Campus Experience every year, are selected for their background in teaching, education, leisure and sport. They also receive broad-based specific training from the organisation every year. They therefore have the necessary experience and skills to enable the participants to have fun and learn at the same time.
• Next comes lunchtime, following by some time in the swimming pool.
• (Half-day participants end their camp at 13:00, so lunch is not included.
  Since they finish at 13:00, they also cannot take part in the tournaments held at Valdebebas every Friday, involving all the full-day camp groups.)
• By early evening, they are back in training, followed by showers and a snack.
• Non-boarding Campus Experience participants end their day at this point (around 19:00). Those who are staying the night, on the other hand, will enjoy another Campus Experience activity, until the time comes for them to speak to their families. In other words, from 20:15 to 21:15, they can call their parents if they want; alternatively, parents can use this time to call their children (for that purpose, we recommend that they carry a mobile phone so they can be called directly, but parents will be given a phone number to call anyway, in case they prefer to call themselves).

Our comprehensive sports-instruction programme is the great innovation that the Real Madrid Foundation is bringing with the Campus Experience. It is about creating a space for learning the skills, methods and values of the players who have made up Real Madrid’s history. This comprehensive instruction programme will include training sessions, values activities and sports-culture education.

The activities take place at different times of day, run by specialists in each field: Real Madrid Foundation coaches will take the training sessions, while supervisors, educators and specialists will be responsible for recreation activities and sports-culture education.

To pass on our values, we have three types of activity, which we have called Campus Experience Activities:

• The first of them is the Feel Experience Activity, in which all the participants play a big game in which they feel and experience the value of the day. For example, on the “teamwork” day, they play a variety of team-building games, in which they can only win by completing a series of challenges that demonstrate how united the team is. On the “self-control” day, the participants play One to Win, in which they have to demonstrate their ability to control their nerves under pressure in hands-on activities.
• Another is the Fun Experience Activity, which always takes place at more relaxed times, such as before or after lunch. The intention is for participants to have fun playing short games offered in new spaces, such as the swimming pool. Each participant can choose their game, such as footvolley, kickball or other games unrelated to football.
• Lastly, there is the Team Experience Activity, which is intended to remind participants of everything they have worked on during the day. Through exercises and games, each supervisor will sit down with the participants in their group to talk about the value of the day and relate it to their experiences, giving them time to express themselves, to say how they are feeling at the camp and to share their experiences.

Sports activities are supervised by a Real Madrid Foundation coaching team. The Campus Experience training sessions are made up of 90 min. training in the morning and 60 min. in the afternoon.

The football-theory sessions cover issues such as level tests (a sportsperson’s physical preparation, nutrition, rest, hygiene, etc.), individual technique (passing, control, dribbling, etc.), decision-making (sports psychology, football injuries, strapping, etc.), tactics (strategy, set-piece routines, transitions, attack, defence, etc.) and competition (preparing for competition, football rules and regulations, etc.).

The intensity and duration of the various different football-theory lessons will vary according to the Campus Experience format.

Our teaching staff includes Real Madrid Foundation coaches (with degrees and graduate diplomas in sports science), coaching assistants (with secondary school-level diplomas in sports science), instructors, teachers, educators, and recreation and free-time supervisors.

The official language for communication is Spanish, although most of our staff can speak to participants in English without any difficulty. The organisation’s supervisors and staff will try to get all children involved, regardless of language.

Every year, children who do not speak Spanish or English take part, but sport is a universal language, so they end up communicating without any problems.

A given time is set every day for talking to families (this is normally before dinner, from 20:15 to 21:15).

The children will be able to call from their mobiles, or receive calls to a number that they will be given.

Our facilities also have WiFi, so that they can go online and contact their parents that way, if they want.

We will provide the necessary information bit by bit, as the camp start date draws nearer.

Our camps are mixed. Only the bedrooms and toilets will be single-sex.

Parents will not be allowed to watch training or the other activities on the campus. For security reasons, no parents or visitors are allowed to enter the sports facilities or accommodation.

Food is included in all camp formats, except for half-day ones.

Meal times depend on whether or not the participants are Residential Camp. Non-borders have lunch included, along with morning and evening snacks. Residential Camp have breakfast and dinner included on top of that. The menus are based on a balanced diet, and any special dietary and/or religious requirements a participant may have are taking into account.

The food is adapted to the participants’ needs and to Campus Experience’s specific quality requirements.

Each participant’s menu is in line with any religious and medical requirements they may have.

Any allergies that the participant may have are stated at the time of registration, so their supervisor will be on the lookout to ensure they get a menu adapted to them personally.

In principle, this should not cause any major issues, provided that their doctor allows it. Our participants’ health, well-being and safety are the most important thing for us, so we have to ensure there is no risk to any of them, and that our supervisors and coaches can offer your child the proper care.

To that end, we will need you to ask your doctor for a note stating whether or not your child can take part in sport under the conditions at the camp, as well as a full description of any medical problem they may have and how it would have to be treated, if that were necessary, and of any specific care they require. Our team will analyse that note to determine whether your child could participate in the camp without running any risk; if we decide that they can, we will tell you to go ahead with the booking.

No, unless the participant has any allergies and/or other health problems that require specific care. In that case, you will need to send us a medical certificate that states the problem and how to treat it.

The facilities where the participants train will depend on the camp format. Both Residential Camp and Day Camp train at Real Madrid in Valdebebas.

All Campus Experience High Performance formats will train at the European University of Madrid facilities and the Villaviciosa de Odón municipal pitches; however, they will visit Valdebebas and play in a tournament there.

High Performance participants will take part in the final tournament on Friday afternoons at Real Madrid City, Valdebebas, with their fellow students from the other football camps.

Participants registered for a camp in Valdebebas will go to the municipal swimming pool located in the Hortaleza district of Madrid. For those in Villaviciosa de Odón (Campus Experience High Performance), the swimming pool is located in the vicinity of the European University of Madrid campus.

(Participants will be transported by means of a short bus ride, provided by the organisation.)

Half-day non-boarding Campus Experience:

A short but very intensive programme. Designed for any participants who need to have their afternoon free or to eat at home with the family, or simply those who want to enjoy the experience spread over several weeks, but at a gentler pace.

• Boys and girls aged 7-13.
• Sports facilities: Real Madrid City in Valdebebas.
• Transportation from the Bernabéu for a small additional fee.
• Meeting points: Real Madrid City in Valdebebas.
• Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 13:00.

Full-day non-boarding Campus Experience:

The full-day non-boarding Campus Experience is our most popular format. Our participants will complete a full programme that combines training sessions led by professional coaches, football-theory classes given by experienced educators and values learned through Campus Experience Activities. However, the Campus Experience is a comprehensive education experience steeped in Real Madrid’s values at every stage of the day, from lunchtime and breaks, to the training sessions themselves.

• Boys and girls aged 7-13.
• Sports facilities: Real Madrid City in Valdebebas.
• Meeting points: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and Real Madrid City, Valdebebas.
• Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and Real Madrid City, Valdebebas.

Campus Experience High Performance:

At this high-skill-level camp, our participants must either be officially registered footballers, or play for a club or in a league. In Campus Experience High Performance, all participants will be able to learn specific training techniques, as well as receiving football-theory lessons on issues relating to the world of football and sport. All that is combined, as in all of our camps, with an education in sporting values.

• Non-boarding and boarding formats.
• Boys and girls aged 9-17.
• Sports facilities: Villaviciosa de Odón municipal pitches and European University of Madrid facilities.
• Meeting points: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and European University of Madrid (only for non-boarding camps).
• From Sunday to Saturday (Residential Camp) and Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 19:00 (Day Camp).

Boarding Campus Experience:

The boarding Campus Experience is designed so that any participants who need to, or simply prefer to, can stay in Madrid to enjoy the full experience. Participants will enjoy a full-day non-boarding Campus Experience and, when it finishes, they will carry on in the hall of residence, with lots more activities, through which our participants will end up forging great friendships with their teammates.

• Boys and girls aged 9-17.
• Sports facilities: Real Madrid City in Valdebebas.
• Meeting points: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
• Sunday to Saturday.

Campus Experience has several specific camp formats for goalkeepers, with training specially designed for them.

These take place on certain dates in July and August, which are published on the website.

These are the types of Campus Experience Goalkeepers that we can offer you::

Boarding Campus Experience Goalkeepers (one- or two-week):

Participants wanting to receive goalkeeper-specific training while sleeping overnight in Madrid (at the Autonomous University of Madrid’s Erasmo hall of residence) can sign up for this one- or two-week camp.

• Ages: 9-17.
• Duration: 7 days, from Sunday to Saturday.
• Sports facilities: Real Madrid City in Valdebebas.
• Meeting point: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Campus Experience Goalkeepers High Performance:

Any children who are officially registered footballers or who play in a league regularly can take part in the Campus Experience High Performance. They can sleep overnight (at a European University of Madrid hall of residence). This boarding Campus Experience High Performance can be one-or two-week.

• Format: Non-boarding and boarding.
• Boys and girls aged 9-17.
• Sports facilities: Villaviciosa de Odón municipal pitches and European University of Madrid facilities.
• Meeting points: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and European University of Madrid (only for non-boarding camps).
• From Sunday to Saturday (Residential Camp) and Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 19:00 (Day Camp).

Full-day non-boarding Campus Experience Goalkeepers:

Any who prefer enjoying training and leisure activities, but without staying the night, can enjoy the non-boarding Campus Experience, from 9:00 to 19:00.

• Ages: 7-13.
• Duration: 5 days, Monday to Friday. From 9:00 to 19:00.
• Sports facilities: Real Madrid City, Valdebebas.
• Meeting points: Two options:
  • Santiago Bernabéu
  • Real Madrid City, Valdebebas

For the moment, we do not have a goalkeeper-specific half-day Campus Experience.

All camp formats offer a comprehensive sports-instruction programme. Campus Experience High Performance is different in that it is higher intensity and there is more time spent training.

There are no requirements for taking part in the camp formats held in Valdebebas. However, all Campus Experience High Performance participants must be officially registered footballers or play regularly for a club because the training is higher-intensity and the physical demands are greater.

In High Performance, the afternoon tournaments last 30 minutes longer, there is an additional 45-minute training exercise and a daily test lasting a further 45 minutes, from which we extract data used to compile the report given to participants at the end.

Registration consists of filling in pieces of information on the registration form, which can be found on our website. Once the form is complete and approved, you will be emailed a copy of the rules and an authorisation slip, both of which you need to sign and return to us.

Once you have done this, if you have not paid by card, you can do so by bank transfer, ALWAYS stating the registration code as the transfer reference and emailing us the proof of payment.

You can register directly through the website or by calling the Customer Services number (+34 912 775 988). You can register directly through the website or by calling the Customer Services number (+34 912 775 988).

You can also upload the authorisation and rules documents directly to the participant file, by signing into the private area after you register. To do so, you will need the username and password found in the confirmation email, which you will receive as soon as you register.

You can pay by credit card or bank transfer (ALWAYS stating the registration code included in the confirmation email), or by using a credit card charge form, which we can email to you.

We cannot, under any circumstances, take your credit-card details over the phone or accept cash payments in the office.

Remember that we do not accept American Express.

Yes, that is possible until 31 May.

60% at the time of registration.

40% before 31 May.

• 60% of the registration fee will be returned up to 31st May 2019 (part payments end date), as long as the full registration fee was paid. No reimbursement can be made unless the full amount was deposited.
• After that date, 60% of the amount paid will only be reimbursed upon provision of proof of an injury or force majeure. The aforesaid information will be validated and checked individually.
• No amounts can be returned for cancellations after the Campus start date, except in instances of injury or force majeure (properly accredited). In those cases the following amounts will be reimbursed In Such Instances:
  • Day Camps: €20/day for each remaining day not enjoyed
  • Residential Camps: €40/day for the number of remaining days not enjoyed.
• In any case there will be right to refund the amount of extra services.

(We are unable to refund larger sums because of all the arrangements that need to be made and paid for in advance.)

We can offer preferential rates for Real Madrid Foundation members’ children, students of the Real Madrid Foundation’s sports schools, Real Madrid members and holders of the Madridista Card.

No, discounts cannot be combined. However, where students are attending for more than one week, we will always apply a discount on the price for the first week:

• When registering as a non-border for more than one block, a 5% discount will be applied to the second block and 10% to the third block;
• When registering as a border for more than one block, a 10% discount will be applied to subsequent blocks.

No, we do not offer that type of discount. However, we can offer you other forms of discount: we sometimes have promotions, we apply discounts for Real Madrid members, holders of the Madridista Card and Real Madrid Foundation members, as well as for registrations for more than one block of training.

Yes, you can, provided that both participants are attending the same camp and are of roughly the same ability. You need to state that you want this on your registration form, in the comments section. While we always try to fulfil this request and are able to do so in most cases, we cannot guarantee it.

That is no problem. You can request it as soon as your registration is fully complete. This means that you must have 100% paid and submitted all documentation.

Should your visa be refused, we will refund the payment to you in full once you have proved that your visa application was rejected.

In properly proven cases of force majeure, participants can leave the camp early. Should this happen, the participant’s guardian will have to request it in writing (email) and follow the established procedure. For reasons of the children’s safety, this procedure is taken VERY SERIOUSLY and must be properly completed.

Yes, you do. When registering your child for the camp, you will have to give the full name and Spanish ID card (or passport) number of the person who will be picking them up. The supervisors always ask the person who comes to collect your child for some form of identification and, should you not have identification with you, we will be unable to allow you to take your child.

Likewise, if the person who will be coming to collect the child changes, you must also give us at least 24 hours’ notice.

We at the Real Madrid Foundation Campus Experience have several additional services, which will make your child’s stay at our camp an experience they will never forget.

Additional night before or after the camp.
The camps for boarders end on a Saturday and start on a Sunday. For any participants who do want to or cannot return home on those days, we offer the extra night service, during which the participant will still be looked after by a supervisor, with extra activities and care included.

This service is NOT necessary for the Saturday to Sunday night in the middle of a two-week camp. However, it will result in a higher total price.
This service is not included in the camp price.

Price: €150

When registering for two week-long programmes for boarders that do not coincide with a two-week block, you will be able to buy an extra night between the two camps if you do not want or are not able to pick up the participant.

This service is not included in the camp price.

Price: €100

This service is exclusively for Campus experience boarders.

If the participant is expected to be travelling alone, we have an additional service in which a Campus Experience team will be responsible for meeting the participant at the arrivals terminal and taking them directly to the accommodation, where they will be accompanied by supervisors and any other children who have already arrived.

Likewise, Campus Experience staff will, at the agreed time, be responsible for taking the participant to the airport (or other mode of transport) to return home.

This service consists of:

• Collection from the airport, or bus or train station by Campus Experience supervisors.
• Travel insurance is included.
• Transfer to the accommodation in transportation owned by Campus Experience.
• Transfer from the accommodation to the airport, or bus or train station, accompanied at all times.
• The supervisor accompanies the participant to the appointed place for meeting the flight attendants for accompanying minors, who then take charge of the child.

To organise this service, we need you to send us a series of documents with all the complete information on the flight, along with proof that you have paid the price supplement for the service.

This service is not included in the camp price.

• Return price (arrivals and/or departures between 9:00 and 21:00): €200
• One-way price (arrivals and/or departures between 9:00 and 21:00): €150
• Extra price (arrivals and/or departures between 9:00 and 21:00): €75 per journey

The content of the English course has been designed by the British Council and its main goal is to teach the football-related English used in- and outside the camp. Courses will be taught by British Council-trained native-speaker teachers.

In addition to the high-quality materials employed specifically to teach the words and phrases needed to talk about football in- and outside the camp, the content covers the same grammar, vocabulary and practical skills that are found on a standard language course… except that the lessons are football-themed or football-related.

Focus: skills and lessons based on and incorporating football-related language, which meet any needs that the students may need day-to-day at the camp.

The subjects include:

• Training;
• Nutrition;
• Tactics, rules of football, aspects of the game (defence, attack, goalkeeping, etc.);
• Respect, values and inclusiveness.

At the end of the courses, the participants will be able to use specific aspects of the language and will be better equipped to understand the instructions given by coaches on the football pitch.

Times for Campus Experience, boarders: 8:30-9:30, Monday to Friday

Times for Campus Experience Advanced Technique, boarders: 19:15-20:45, Monday to Thursday

Price at the 1-week camp:

• Boarders: €250 per participant
• Advanced Technique boarders: €270 per participant

Price at the 2-week camp:

• Boarders: €500 per participant
• Advanced Technique boarders: €540 per participant

The content of the Spanish course has been designed by Choices International and its main goal is to teach the football-related Spanish used in- and outside the camp. Courses will be taught by native-speaker teachers.

In addition to the high-quality materials employed specifically to teach the words and phrases needed to talk about football in- and outside the camp, the content covers the same grammar, vocabulary and practical skills that are found on a standard language course… except that the lessons are football-themed or football-related.

Focus: skills and lessons based on and incorporating football-related language, which meet any needs that the students may need day-to-day at the camp.

The subjects include:

• Training;
• Nutrition;
• Tactics, rules of football, aspects of the game (defence, attack, goalkeeping, etc.);
• Respect, values and inclusiveness.

At the end of the courses, the participants will be able to use specific aspects of the language and will be better equipped to understand the instructions given by coaches on the football pitch.

Times for Campus Experience, boarders: 8:30-9:30, Monday to Friday

Times for Campus Experience Advanced Technique, boarders: 19:15-20:45, Monday to Thursday

Price at the 1-week camp:

• Boarders: €250 per participant
• Advanced Technique boarders: €270 per participant

Price at the 2-week camp:

• Boarders: €500 per participant
• Advanced Technique boarders: €540 per participant

We have drawn up a general list of what Campus Experience participants should include in their luggage.

Residential Camp:

• Trainers
• Football boots (we recommend that they are already broken in, to avoid blisters and rubbing; to avoid injury, we recommend multi-stud boots because most of the football pitches used are artificial turf)
• 5 pairs of sports shorts
• 10 T-shirts
• 8 pairs of socks
• Baseball cap
• Swimming trunks/costume
• Swimming cap
• Arm bands, if you have notified us that they cannot swim
• Flip-flops
• Beach towel
• Sunscreen
• Lip balm with SPF
• Insect repellent
• Medication, if they need to follow some form of treatment

All clothing must be marked with its owner’s name, so that it cannot be lost or misplaced. The supervisors will collect the clothes of the children in their charge, which they will take to the laundry service midway through the camp. Once clean, it will be returned to the children.

Day Camp:

They need to come every day wearing a T-shirt, shorts, a baseball cap and trainers.

They also need to have a backpack containing:

• Appropriate sports footwear (football boots for artificial turf)
• Swimming trunks/costume
• Towel
• Swimming cap
• Arm bands, if you have notified us that they cannot swim
• Flip-flops
• Sunscreen

It is important that children learn to value hygiene for the sake of those around them.

Parents and educators play a key role in the acquisition of such habits and we at Campus Experience want to contribute to that.

In principle, no because it is all-inclusive. However, there will be occasions when participants will be able to use money, such as to buy souvenirs during the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium tour, excursions around Madrid, etc.

LIt is possible that players will drop in to the Campus Experience and it has actually happened at times in the past, but we cannot guarantee it at any time. Campus Experience does not have access to the players’ diaries and we cannot predict when they will fancy paying the camp a visit.

Participants are housed with participants from the same group and with roughly the same ability level.

The groups are no larger than 20 participants.

The groups are no larger than 20 participants.

Each group of children (20 children) will have two supervisors assigned.

We organise the Real Madrid Foundation Campus Experience. For issues relating to the academy, trials, Madridista Card or membership, please contact the Real Madrid Foundation central office (+34 91 453 29 00).

Yes, every participant will receive a free Real Madrid Foundation kit, along with a photographic memento and a diploma.

As with player visits, we cannot predict when scouts will visit. It is an unpredictable event, which may happen, but we cannot guarantee it at any given time.

Residential Camp at the camp have access to a laundry service, in which the participants wash their clothes, while being continually overseen by the supervisors, who help and guide them with the task.

We have 24-hour supervision and security available at the accommodation.

The organisation arranges for the services of a photographer. Their job is to take photos of day-to-day life at the camp, so they will take photos at their discretion, to give an idea of what the activities and training are like. Unfortunately, not all of the children will appear in this type of photo. Whether or not they are shown will actually be down to luck because the purpose is to show day-to-day life, not pick out particular individuals.

We leave the personalised photos for the gatefold diploma that we give to each child when the complete the camp. These photos are portraits and every child will have two individual photos and one group photo (they are given the gatefold diploma on their last day at the camp).