New Rochelle Small Business Spotlight: Next Level Day Camps

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Our Small Business Spotlight shines a light on local businesses we may not know that well.

• Business: Next Level Day Camps
• Owners: Ed Metzendorf
• Website: www.nextleveldaycamps.com
• Address: The Ursuline School and Iona Prep

How did you come up with the name? I wanted the kids to understand that someone who gets to the Next Level is above average and that they should try to go above and beyond in anything they do.

Why start a business in this town? I felt that were many fine day camps in the area but none of them were single gender and offered flexibility for people with busy lives. So I started Next Level to create safe, skill-based summer camp environment where children of all abilities are empowered to explore their interests, without fear of failure in front of the opposite sex. Additionally, I felt the kids needed to customize days with options for team and individual sports, STEM projects and unique electives, plus camp-wide events like Color War and Apache Relay. The camps blend the benefits of single-gender schools (not usually found in day camps) with traditional camp activities, academics, sports skills training and opportunities for kids to try popular interest-based classes — all focused on achieving goals, making friends and having fun.

What business are you in? Summer Camp.

What’s the most difficult challenge you’ve faced as a business owner? Balancing Quality and Growth. I am so fortunate because of the hard work of so many of my summer staff that Next Level has really grown in popularity. This is amazing! However, as part of a community that so many of the kids come to Next Level I am always very concerned that I continue to manage the personal relationships and attention to detail that has helped Next Level thrive.

What’s been your proudest achievement since opening? I think seeing so many kids (over 600 last summer) develop character, confidence, leadership and life skills. Additionally, getting so many teachers, parents and students from the community to work and give so much to the campers during the summer is very rewarding.

How does your business give back to the community? I have done a few things including several fundraisers for a local family dealing with a child with cancer, raising money for a summer camp in Maine that allows low-income families an opportunity to enjoy a camp experience outside of their city. (Raised over 4k combined for these events.) Additionally, I have worked with a few local groups to allow some less fortunate kids enjoy weeks at Next Level.

If you are a small business owner and would like to see your business in the spotlight, go to this link, answer the questions and send it to Patch.

Photo credit: Submitted.