Employment

Camp Life

You will be living in a private dorm room at Haverford College or Cabrini College located in the prestigious Main Line suburbs of Philadelphia. You will receive a welcome pack and room key on arrival. It is up to you to keep your room locked, as we will not be responsible for lost or stolen property.

We provide daily transportation to and from camp for all of our pros each day via school buses. Because our camps are on college campuses, you can find most of what you need within walking distance. Generally the trains are very affordable and take you to most places of interest. Train tickets can be purchased at the train station and sometimes on the train.

On weekends, you can participate in special trips organized for tennis pros which will include destinations such as New York City, Washington DC or Atlantic City. For these trips, JKCP will provide a bus specifically for our group. For smaller trips you will be on your own.

Occasionally you may be able to find a driver who would be willing to take your group somewhere in exchange for paying his or her expenses for the trip. You should not expect camp vehicles to be available for your personal use.

JKCP provides meals for its staff during working hours. Tennis Professionals eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in the college cafeteria along with campers and counselors. It is the same for Golf Pros, except lunch will be provided by JKCP off campus. College food service prepares quality food with a variety of choices for even the pickiest of eaters. The cafeteria is closed on one night each week (TBD) and Saturday nights, so you will have to make your own arrangements for those two meals. Because your social interaction with campers is essential to their enjoyment of camp, we ask that you sit among campers and not just with other pros. You will be responsible for your own meals on your time off.

If you are coming to camp through an agency (such as CCUSA), you will be paid a stipend at the end of the summer in accordance with your contract. Your employment contract will contain specific information about your terms and salary.

Laundry facilities are available on-site at each of the apartments. It is not necessary to bring laundry detergent with you. You can purchase detergent at a nearby store.

By phone — Although each individual camp will have its own office telephone line, campers and staff are not permitted to use camp phones for personal calls. At each college campus there are numerous public telephones available for use during your time off. We recommend that you use calling cards for these calls. In an emergency you may be contacted through our main office at 1-866-TRY-JKCP or 610-265-9401. A message will be taken and passed on to you.

Mail — All incoming mail goes through our main office and is delivered to the camps on a daily basis. Your personal mail should be addressed as follows to ensure quick delivery to you:

      Your First and Last Names
      Camp Name (Tennis or Golf)
      c/o Julian Krinsky Camps & Programs
      610 South Henderson Rd
      King of Prussia, PA 19406 USA

E-Mail — You will be able to access your web-based email only at certain times throughout the summer. This includes accounts like AOL, gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo.

The options are unlimited. If you are off on Saturday, the camp trips are an option. If seating is available, you can travel with the campers to locations such as New York, Washington DC and Baltimore.

If you want to venture out on your own, you can take a 20-minute train ride to historic Philadelphia, the birthplace of America and a city rich with art, culture, entertainment and fun.

Want to see one of the largest retail malls in the U.S.? A 15-minute car ride will take you to the King of Prussia Mall with 400 stores, restaurants and boutiques, including eight major department stores.

If you can find a driver, check out the New Jersey Shore, famous for its beaches and boardwalks. Atlantic City (also accessible by train) is the closest shore destination, attracting more than 30 million visitors each year with its 12 casinos and 4.5 miles of boardwalk. For vast, free beaches and great nightlife, visit Wildwood with a world-famous 2-mile boardwalk with five amusement piers, carnival games, souvenir shops, food stands and beachfront waterparks.

Check out these links for more information about Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs:
  • www.gophila.com — All the latest on what to see in Philadelphia
  • www.pcvb.org/ab_phil/philamaps.asp — Philadelphia Convention Center and Visitors Bureau. Great overview of the city with maps and directions.

Some of our camps are staffed with registered nurses who are your first point of contact in a non-emergency. We are minutes from an emergency room and a general practitioner.

International staff hired through an agency should consult with their agency about health insurance.

International pros coming to the US on a JKCP visa receive limited health insurance from JKCP, which is valid for the period of your contract. This is not a general health insurance policy, but an interim, limited benefit period, travel medical program intended for use while away from your home country. Unlike traditional health insurance policies, this group program does not guarantee payment to a facility or individual for medical expenses until the insurance company determines that it is an eligible expense. You can and possibly should have additional insurance as each doctor’s visit will require $50 copay.

What is expected of me?

At JKCP, we strive to provide the camper first and foremost with a rewarding lifetime experience. In addition to our world-class tennis instruction, we want campers to enjoy making new friends from different parts of the world, learning about different cultures and discovering new places and knowledge.

Because every child we encounter is unique, our camp is designed to take into consideration the many needs of the individual. Different players respond well to different approaches, so we urge our pros to be flexible and use a variety of teaching approaches.

We expect our coaches to build upon a player's current ability. We aim to enhance the player’s game and work together with their pro at home. Some students may express a need for some major change in their game. This will require a great deal of time and encouragement on your part, as major changes need a lot of time and reinforcement before they can truly improve the player’s game. Students should be made aware that major changes won't take place overnight.

Professional appearance is essential as we strive to convey excellence in all we do. We will provide you with five JKCP staff shirts. Please wear a clean, non-wrinkled staff shirt at all times when you are working or involved in camp programs. If you appear with an untidy shirt, we will ask you to return to your room to change.

Tennis pros are required to wear tennis shoes with your uniform. To present a cohesive team image, all tennis pros shall wear the following color shorts with their staff shirt:

      1.  Sundays & Wednesdays — Black
      2.  Tuesdays — White
      3.  Mondays & Thursdays — Navy Blue

NO TIGHTS OR BIKE SHORTS ARE PERMITTED. Please explore our website to see photos of typical staff and our dress expectations.

Golf pros must wear a plain brown or black belt and shirts must be tucked into your pants. Khaki shorts or slacks and golf shoes or sneakers are required for your uniform. Caps will also be provided to you. We suggest you carry a small backpack during the day for essential items. Explore our website to see photos of typical staff and our dress expectations.

There is more to presenting a professional image than the clothes you wear. We have learned from parent feedback that some body piercings, tattoos and certain hair styles make an unfavorable impression on our campers. In deference to these concerns, our policy prohibits body piercings (other than discreet earrings), tattoos, or unconventional hair coloring or style. If you have a piercing such as a nose ring, we expect you to remove it for the duration of the summer. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, please speak to us before your arrival at camp.

We strive to treat our campers like mature adults and expect them to treat us with the same courtesy. America may not be like other countries with regard to the general treatment of children. Generally, American children are encouraged to be inquisitive, independent and outspoken. Please consider these attributes positively and try to be as helpful as possible at all times.

Should there be an instance where disciplinary action needs to be taken, notify your head staff so they can handle it. Your responsibility is to report any problems to the camp director.

Being a coach at JKCP is quite different from being a pro who works by the hours. There are times when you will be required to perform duties outside of coaching. This may range from tennis pros drying the tennis courts after it rains to tennis or golf pros escorting the kids to and from transportation.

Tennis pros staying on campus will be required to help with camper departures for 2–3 hours on Saturdays or Sundays, for which you will be paid a flat wage. You may switch with a friend if you have scheduling conflicts. On Sundays, pros will be scheduled on a rotating basis to evaluate arriving campers.

You will also be required to attend weekly staff meetings at Haverford College and two coach’s seminars. Dates and times to be determined.

At times, you may be asked to accompany campers to recreational activities. Although we want you to enjoy the activity with the campers, your first responsibility is to the campers and to be attentive to their needs. You must wear the camp uniform and remember that you are a responsible representative of our organization during these activities. You may also have other opportunities to teach tennis or do some other jobs that you will be paid for.

Pros are welcome to attend evening activities such as dances, talent shows, off-campus trips, etc., as space allows. There will be an awards ceremony on Friday evenings, and you are always welcome to attend.

Traveling to Camp

Summer is hot and humid in Philadelphia (80–100 F, 27–37 C), so plan to wear comfortable cool clothing. Sandals are a good idea for your days off, but are not permitted with the uniform. Besides uniform clothing (see “How do I need to dress?”) you should bring enough uniform clothes to last five days without doing your laundry. You will want a few extra pieces of clothing for your time off and for off-duty nights. Laundry facilities are available on all campuses. Travel steam irons are a great help to keep your clothes looking presentable.

Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, sunscreen and other personal items are fairly inexpensive in the United States, so you don’t need to weigh yourself down with a summer’s worth of supplies.

Electrical appliances require a dual-voltage switch and a 2-pin adaptor for 110 volt outlets, which are standard in the U.S.

Internationals must keep the following items with them at all times when traveling:

   • Driver’s license, international driver’s license
   • Passport
   • Visa
   • DS2019
   • Camp contract
   • JKCP contact information (found on the Travel Information PDF form)
   • A pen

We advise everyone to carry essential items in your carry-on bag in the event that your luggage should go astray. Here are some items we suggest you carry on:

   • Return airline tickets
   • Personal items such as glasses, contacts, medications
   • Travelers’ checks, credit cards and/or cash
   • Alarm clock
   • Valuable items (cameras, personal music devices)
   • One day’s worth of uniform clothing

Our international staff and some U.S. staff usually arrive by plane at Philadelphia International Airport or Newark Liberty International Airport. Some U.S. staff choose to come by Amtrak train to Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station or by Greyhound or Capital bus lines to King of Prussia Station.

You are scheduled to start on the date stated on your contract, which will be with the majority of our staff. Please arrive by 4:00 p.m. local time on that date at Philadelphia International Airport or Newark Liberty International Airport so that we can coordinate your transportation with others who are arriving on that day.

You must complete the Arrival Departure Form and return it to us by April 30th so that we can coordinate your pick up. You must keep us informed of any changes in your travel plans.

Before you leave home, print out the Travel Information PDF Form and carry it with you when you travel. Because flights are often delayed or canceled, we will not send someone to get you until you have arrived. Once you have arrived safely at your destination airport or train station, call Steve Robertson (cell: 484-505-6555) or Michelle Stanfield (1-866-879-5527 or 610-265-9401) and they will let you know where and when to meet your ride. If you get their voicemail, leave a detailed message with information about where you are and a call-back number if possible. If you do not have a call-back number, leave detailed information about your location, and call back in 30 minutes to receive further instructions. This information is summarized in the Travel Information PDF Form.

Please notify Steve Robertson or Michelle Stanfield of any changes to your travel plans as soon as you become aware of them. Prior to departure you can reach Steve or Michelle at 1-866-TRY-JKCP.

Although we’ve tried to address the most frequently asked questions, you may still have concerns or areas that need clarification. We don’t expect you to know everything there is to know before you arrive at camp. Orientation is designed to answer more of your questions. However, if you have a question or concern that must be answered before your arrival, you may call Steve Robertson or Michelle Stanfield at 1-866-TRY-JKCP or email steve@jkcp.com or michelle@jkcp.com.

International Staff

A citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States to work as a camp counselor must first obtain a nonimmigrant (J) visa. Before you can apply for a J visa you must be accepted for the Exchange Visitor Program through a Department of State designated sponsor.

JKCP will be your designated sponsor (unless you are coming to the U.S. via an agency such as CCUSA or BUNAC, in which case the agency is your designated sponsor). As your designated sponsor, JKCP must issue a DS-2019 generated by the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which maintains current information on exchange visitors.

Below is the procedure for obtaining a JKCP-sponsored J1 visa.

      1.  You will receive an email requesting specific information needed to issue your DS2019. Please respond promptly to this email.

      2.  Upon receiving your information, we will process the DS-2019, pay the required SEVIS fee on your behalf, and mail you the DS-2019 along the receipt for the SEVIS fee and an original signed contract. You will need to take these documents to the U.S. Embassy when you apply for your visa. (Check with the embassy about other forms and processing fees required to complete your visa application, since these vary by country.)

      3.  Make an appointment with the US Embassy in the country where you currently reside. Be sure to indicate that you are applying for a J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa.

ALTHOUGH THIS APPOINTMENT MUST OCCUR AFTER YOU RECEIVE YOUR DS-2019 AND NOT MORE THAN 30 DAYS BEFORE YOUR DEPARTURE FOR CAMP, WE URGE YOU TO MAKE THE APPOINTMENT IMMEDIATELY TO ASSURE THAT YOU GET AN APPOINTMENT WITHIN THE APPROPRIATE TIME FRAME.

Please visit the U.S. Department of State website to locate the U.S. embassy nearest you, book an appointment online, check on the wait time for appointments and visas, and learn more about the visa application process.

We advise you to begin the above process immediately to allow ample time for your visa processing. You will not be permitted to enter the U.S. without your visa.

      4.  When traveling to and from the US, keep your visa, passport, driver&resquo;s license, employment contract and DS-2019 with you at all times. NEVER SURRENDER THESE DOCUMENTS TO ANYONE AS YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO SHOW ANY ONE OR ALL OF THEM WHEN TRAVELING BETWEEN COUNTRIES. You will also need to bring a pen, and the following information:

                 Physical residential domicile in the U.S
                 Haverford College
                 370 Lancaster Ave
                 Haverford PA 19041-0333.

                 U.S. contact person for J-1 Exchange Visitor Program
                 Steve Robertson
                 484-318-1552

If we are sponsoring your visa, JKCP pays for the visa cost. By that we mean we incur all the charges for processing your DS-2019, but you will have the following responsibilities:

    1. You can typically expect to be required to pay nominal fees for your embassy appointment, visa processing, and document delivery when you apply for your visa at the U.S. embassy in your home country.

    2. During the summer, we will deduct $300 from your paycheck for some of the cost of your visa fees, which includes your required minimum health-care coverage. Please be aware the $300 we receive from you is about half of what you would have paid if you had applied for a visa directly and less than the actual expenses we incur for sponsoring your visa.

If you are coming through an agency, speak to your agency about visa fees.