BDL Kickoff

Two nights in the Poconos to open the season
October 2–4, 2026
Pocono Springs Camp · East Stroudsburg, PA
Bus from Barclays Center
Slips due September 24

Signed permission slips are due Thursday, September 24

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Overview

Congratulations on representing your team at the BDL Kickoff this year.

Dates
Friday 2 – Sunday 4 October 2026
Where
Pocono Springs Camp 48 Pocono Springs Way, East Stroudsburg, PA 18302
Meals
All provided Bring snacks or spending money if you like
Point of contact
Camp phone
570-218-5800 Cell reception at the camp is limited — calling the camp is the reliable way to reach staff or your child

Getting there and back

The BDL charters the bus. All students travel with the group in both directions.

Fri 2 Oct
1:00pm
Bus departs from Barclays Center
620 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Sun 4 Oct
5:00pm
Bus returns to Barclays Center
Same place — please be prompt at pickup
Sunday dismissal. The permission slip asks whether your child may leave on their own and take public transit home, or will be picked up by an adult at Barclays Center.

Two things to complete by September 24

  • Have your parent/guardian fill out and sign the permission slip.
  • Print out the teacher slip, collect all of your teachers' signatures, and give it to your coach. On the teacher slip, write in the due date (Thursday Sep 24) and that you're asking to miss class on Friday Oct 2.
The teacher slip is a separate piece of paper and is due on the same day. Submitting the online form does not replace it.

Family Kickoff sessions

Parents and guardians are invited to an online session before the trip. Both cover the same material, so come to whichever suits you better.

Tue 15 Sep
6:30–7:30pm
Family Kickoff session — online
Thu 24 Sep
6:30–7:30pm
Family Kickoff session — online (same content)

Both sessions use the same Zoom room: tinyurl.com/BDLzoomroom

More information available on our family portal: brooklyndebateleague.org/families

Health and medical care

Please read our Health Management Plan, which sets out how we handle medication, illness and injury on trips. If you have any questions at all — about a condition, a medication, or anything you would rather discuss privately — please email jonathan@brooklyndebateleague.org. We would much rather hear from you before the trip than find out at the camp.

The camp

A view across the Pocono Springs Camp grounds
The camp dining hall, where all meals are served
Students together outdoors at camp
Pocono Springs cabins

Photos: Pocono Springs Camp

Packing list

Two nights away. Label anything you would be upset to lose.

Bring

  • An extra blanket and warm pajamas — the camp provides towels and sheets, but the cabins have no heat at night. October in the Poconos gets cold, so pack warmer than you think you need.
  • Refillable water bottle
  • Any medications you will need during the trip
  • Colored pens and highlighters, if you have them
  • Laptop or Chromebook, cell phone, and chargers for both — if your family does not have a laptop to spare, say so on the permission slip and we will bring one for you
  • Personal hygiene items — toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, shampoo, lotion, deodorant, sanitary napkins or tampons
  • Comfortable clothes for the weekend
  • Snacks or personal spending money (meals are provided)

Optional, but nice to have

  • Shower shoes
  • Flashlight
  • A gavel
  • Bug spray & sunscreen — we'll have some, but bring your own if you prefer a particular kind

Leave at home

  • Alcohol, drugs, or weapons of any kind
  • Game systems
  • Food delivery apps — no DoorDash, Uber Eats or similar for the whole trip
A note on phones. Bring your phone and charger, but expect it to be put away for almost all of the weekend. This is a debate camp, not a screen weekend — staff will tell you the few times phones come out.

Expectations

Read these with your parent or guardian before signing.

  • Bring your ambitions and your attention. This weekend is largely about getting your team and yourself ready for the school year, so be ready for meetings, prep, and some rounds.
  • Follow instructions from any BDL or camp adult.
  • Always be a representative of the BDL. Be kind, courteous, respectful.
  • No one may order food through DoorDash, Uber Eats, or similar for the duration of the trip.
  • Stay with the group at all times, including departure and dismissal.
  • Always be in a group of at least three people.
  • Absolutely no alcohol, drugs, or weapons are permitted on this trip.
  • Students may not leave the camp grounds without an adult.
  • Phones will be away for almost all of the weekend. Staff will tell you the few times they come out; otherwise keep them packed.
  • You must be passing all classes to participate on this trip.
  • Stay on camp grounds at all times.
  • Be back in your cabin by bed check, and no leaving your cabin after bed check.
  • If you want to spend time with people who are not in your cabin, do so in the common areas, not in each other's cabins.
  • All students will have cabin-mates; we'll announce cabin assignments when we arrive.
  • The rule of three applies in cabins too — you should never be in a cabin with just one other person.
  • Stay safe by staying seated.
  • Be respectful of the driver.
  • Use headphones and clean up your trash.
Failure to abide by these expectations could result in the scholar not being permitted to travel on future debate trips.

Permission slip

To be completed by a parent or guardian, with the student present to sign.

Student

Authorization

I, the parent/guardian of [student's name], authorize my child, who attends [school], to attend the BDL Kickoff at Pocono Springs Camp, 48 Pocono Springs Way, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania 18302, from Friday, October 2 to Sunday, October 4, 2026. All meals will be provided. We will be staying at Pocono Springs Camp. The main chaperone for this trip will be Brendan Gorman (brendan@brooklyndebateleague.org) from the Brooklyn Debate League.

Sunday dismissal

The bus returns to Barclays Center on Sunday, October 4 at 5:00 PM. At dismissal, my child: *

Student agreement

By signing below, the student agrees to meet the expectations for this trip.

Sign with a finger on a touchscreen, or with the mouse.

Release and waiver of liability

The full agreement is below. You can also open it as a PDF to read or keep.

Parent / guardian

I hereby release Brooklyn Debate League ("BDL"), its board members and staff from any and all liability incurred by my child during this trip. I understand and accept that in the event that my child were to commit an extreme behavioral transgression, endangering the physical or emotional safety or integrity of other scholars or staff, my child will lose this privilege, including, but not limited to, escalated consequences (suspension, detention, etc.) upon their return to the school building.

Second emergency contact

Optional, but helpful: someone other than you, in case we cannot reach you during the trip.

Left blank, nothing is recorded. Anything entered is shared with the staff on this trip. See our Health Management Plan, or email jonathan@brooklyndebateleague.org with any questions.