Growing Good People, Training Great Athletes at 6 Points

Hidden away in the mountains of North Carolina, there is a place unlike any other. A place where sports and Judaism intertwine in incredible ways and where campers leave a better person and athlete than when they first arrived. Campers and staff return year after year to reunite with coaches and friends in a place that feels like home. Between elite training and the things that make Jewish summer camp innately special, campers bond over their shared experiences as Jewish athletes.

Among all the smiling faces around camp is Jordana Weinberg, better known around camp as "Coach Jordi." After years of planning and preparation between Coach Jordi and camp director, Jackie Gordon (usually known around camp as "Coach Jackie"), the flag football major became a reality (a major is the main sport a camper chooses to train in). Some campers were lucky enough to spend their session being coached by Coach Jordi.

Coach Jordi, originally from Dallas, Texas, spent years working as a PE teacher, coach, and trainer. About six and a half years ago, Jordi relocated to Israel and found a post in a Facebook group looking for female athletes. "I didn't know what I was getting myself into, but the next thing I knew, I was on a phone call with the women's national flag football team head coach. They were looking to put together a team for the world games," Jordi recounts. "I went up to Jerusalem for tryouts and here I am, five years later, still playing." Jordi found a passion for the sport and the team is currently working to throw their hat in the ring for a shot at the 2028 Olympics. She notes the incredible growth of flag football over the last few years and how her passion for it has prompted her desire to share it with others.

While exploring intersection points between Judaism and sports in the United States, she came across 6 Points Sports Academy. After years of preparation, planning, and scheduling, she was able to bring flag football to URJ 6 Points Sports Academy in Asheville, North Carolina in 2025. At camp, she gets to be a coach, trainer, and representative of Israel, saying, "I love the major. I love getting to build it and share my love and passion with kids who are growing up with this passion for this sport."

On any day, you could walk by the field and find Jordi not only coaching, but also playing games of 5v5 or practicing drills with campers. Her passion is evident and her impact on campers is undeniable. She speaks about camp as enthusiastically as someone who has been there since year one:

I love being at a Jewish sports camp! I wish it was something that I had known existed as a kid, because it hits all the things that I love and thrive on in life. There's no greater balance to me than getting to be proud of my Jewish identity, speak openly and positively about Jewish experiences, and being able to speak about Israel. This is one of the safest places for so many kids. Being able to be a part of that is just really, really meaningful for me as somebody who loves being Jewish and Israeli and everything that goes with it.

URJ 6 Points Sports Academy is so much more than an athletic training experience; it's just as much about building good people as it is good athletes. Built on its core values (Pride, Growth, Intention, Teamwork, Leadership, and Sportsmanship), 6 Points teaches campers that their character matters on and off the court.

When I asked about what makes URJ 6 Points Sports Academy special, the number one response was, "it's not the place, it's the people." Campers buy into every aspect of the experience. As athletes, we treat everything like a competition, even going as far as competing to have the cleanest dorms. Campers, coaches, and staff give out value bracelets as a physical symbol of the characteristics of a good person, athlete, and Jew. As a Jewish community, Shabbat is one of our most special times and pulls us together in our holy stadium, a physical reminder of how Judaism and sports can intertwine.

We want campers to live our Jewish values and understand exactly how it weaves into their passions and activities, like their favorite sports. This all starts with incredible coaches like Coach Jordi. Assistant Director Zoe Sellers says:

Jordi embraces the values of camp and takes it to the next level. Camp was made for people like her-the perfect intersection of our values and the Jewish athlete experience. She is a great human being and wants to make everyone around her better.

Camp is created for and by people just like Jordi. Sports and Judaism are taught together at URJ 6 Points Sports Academy because they go hand-in-hand. It's the people who make the place, and Coach Jordi is a perfect example of one of the people who make 6 Points Sports Academy so special.

Want to see how incredible 6 Points Sports Academy is and get in the game yourself? Great news: you can register to attend 6 Points Sports Academy today. See you on the field!