Tag: camp
Why Bridgton Sports Camp?
The question I am most often asked while meeting new and prospective camp families is ‘What separates Bridgton Sports Camp from all of the other camps?’ I would like to use this blog to answer that question.
“A camp is only as good as its staff”. I heard this quote early in my camping career and it continues to be the most important lesson I have learned. I was sent to sleep away camp in Maine when I was nine years old. After eight years as a camper, I couldn’t wait to begin my career in camping. I started as a counselor, then group leader, and worked my way up to several full time camping positions. I then had the invaluable opportunity to help start two camps from the ground up. When my dream of Bridgton Sports Camp became a reality, one of the first calls I made was to our current assistant director, Wade. I met Wade when we were both counselors and have always said that if anyone was a better counselor then me, it was Wade! Wade is a teacher in the “offseason” and his wife a child psychologist. One of our division leaders, Evan, has been at BSC from the beginning and is currently in school to make working with children a career. We have an RN Jennifer, and a trainer, Sam, who work around the clock to keep our campers safe/healthy.
The structure of our camp is unique. In addition to experiencing everything that you would at a traditional summer camp, campers have the opportunity to pick one specific sport (ice hockey, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, baseball) and major in it, guaranteeing each camper will have their favorite sport 2x each day. The strength of our major program are the coaches. They know how to make their sport fun, and at the same time push the campers with a combination of drills, skills competitions, and games. Coach Whit has been the Basketball Director since the beginning. During the winter he is the head coach at Bridgton Academy and is currently in his 17th year! Coach Warde also works at Bridgton Academy as their Director of Hockey and Head Coach. Before Bridgton, he was an assistant coach at the United States Military Academy at West Point and has many years experience running hockey camps. Coach Verrill runs our baseball program. I can’t begin to list all of his accomplishments here because he began his coaching career in 1969! Our soccer director, Coach Green has been the head coach at Central Connecticut State for the past 28 years. I don’t know of many summer camps that have a D1 level coach running their program!
Our facility is awesome! The first time I set foot on Bridgton Academy it had the look/feel of a sports camp. We have the entire use of the BA campus over the summer so our campers consider Bridgton Sports Camp home. BA is one of the only campuses that is directly on a lake that we take full advantage of with waterskiing, wake boarding, fishing, canoeing and swimming.
Our counselors have the hardest (and most rewarding) job at camp. They live in the trenches with the campers and make sure that everyone is safe/happy. I would love to list and write about the attributes of each counselor, but that will make this blog way too long.
So what sets us apart from all of the other camps? Our staff, the team of people at Bridgton Sports Camp that work together all summer making sure each camper is safe and thriving in our camp environment.
The Long-Lasting Benefits of Camp
Camp has become a part of the fabric of America — conjuring special memories of hiking, swimming, friendships, and adventure for generations. When children go to camp, they’ll likely come home gushing about the lifelong friends they’ve made, and the exciting adventures they had. What they probably won’t tell you about are the life lessons camp has given them — those skills that, if nurtured at home after camp, translate into a lasting self-confidence, an awareness of the importance of kindness, and a greater comfort in voicing their opinions.
For more than 150 years, camp has been changing lives — allowing all children to feel successful, especially those who may struggle with traditional educational settings. Camp is full of fun and excitement, but it is so much more — developing children who are better equipped to lead in the twenty-first century with skills such as independence, empathy, the ability to work as part of a team, and a broader world view.
Camp is a safe and nurturing environment that enhances social skills. Camp is for everyone, so children and youth have the opportunity to meet and interact with peers from outside their school environment.
Camp supplements traditional education. Camps use intentional programming to create a balance of experiential learning opportunities that are physical, emotional, and social.
Camp provides experiences that promote self-confidence and future academic growth. American Camp Association® (ACA) independent research shows that parents and camp staff, as well as the campers themselves, report significant growth in several areas, including leadership, independence, social comfort, and values and decisions.
Camp encourages a respect and love of nature. Children are able to learn about the natural world. Camp also gives them a chance to “unplug.” More and more experts are advocating the value of time spent in nature for children — and camp is a perfect place to do that.
Camp provides the opportunity to stay physically active. Camp is the ultimate outdoor experience with programs that offer physical activities and sports that enhance health and teach self-confidence.
Camp is a natural extension of the classroom. Research indicates that by participating in strategically planned, structured summer experiences, children reduce summer learning loss. Camp challenges children, keeps them engaged, develops creativity and their talents, and expands their horizons.
Summer Camp: Can It Make Kids More Responsible?
There aren’t a lot of Harvard students who’ve worked as camp counselors, but I can usually spot them: they have a combination of flexibility and interpersonal savvy that makes them good leaders. I always thought that the kind of person who chooses to be a camp counselor is likely already an affable and mature person. But many educators have come to recognize that summer camp, and specifically being a counselor, fosters precisely the skill that we value so highly in young adults: taking responsibility. Caring for younger children helps teenagers learn how to be more mature themselves.
Interaction within mixed-age groups is increasingly rare, undoubtedly a by-product of our “overprogrammed child” culture, with soccer leagues even for preschoolers who can’t find the goalpost. Girls can still gain this valuable experience through babysitting (though it seems like fewer girls are taking on such work), but for boys it is much harder. As Michael Thompson, the author of Raising Cain, pointed out recently at the Aspen Ideas Festival, teenage boys face something of a Catch-22 in that adults are reluctant to give an immature teenage boy responsibility for the young kids who would help him mature. Overnight summer camps provide just such a mentoring opportunity through an incremental leadership pathway that enables teenagers, usually starting at age 14 or 15 as counselors in training, to assume increasing levels of responsibility for kids.
Peter Swain, executive director of YMCA Camp Fuller, in its 125th year serving youth on the shores of Rhode Island and one of the oldest camps in the nation, is explicitly aware of this learning opportunity. “Seeing young, anxious campers grow into confident, capable leaders is why I have continued to do this job,” he says. “It’s great to see camp staff carry their camp values into their college and working life — it really means that the work of camp has meaning to society.” As Swain notes, “The path from camper to young staff is well-worn and thus clear to follow. And the role models are obvious and always there to see.”
Camps also provide a safe place for young staff to make mistakes without dire consequences. One of my sons, for example, now 17, learned to windsurf at camp, where he joined a special leadership track for senior campers in his final year. He returns to camp this summer as a junior counselor, teaching windsurfing to younger children. The gravity of supervising children in open water is not lost on him, but he feels up to the task because he’s surrounded at all times by senior staff and he knows the water and equipment well. There are few other situations where a young adult can take on a serious leadership role with as much responsibility and careful guidance as in a camp.
A study of 4-H camp counselors in Ohio (some as young as 14) showed increased leadership skills and improved motivation to stay in school and plan for the future. Many of the counselors were also able to learn from unsuccessful strategies they tried, like the fact that simply yelling at children doesn’t necessarily make them compliant.
Traditional summer camps do such a great job of supplementing the work of parents and schools that we often miss the complexity of what they’re up to. Some people think of camp counseling as a frivolous endeavor, something for big kids who can’t quite cut the umbilical cord of childhood. The stepwise leadership structure — which virtually guarantees high percentages of alumni staff — can create the impression that camp jobs are not real work on par with college internships in the financial industry or working in a lab but something more like a nostalgic hobby. Even high school students worry that a summer-camp job isn’t substantive enough to put on a college application.
But if we are serious about developing young leadership, we should get over these parochial views and take steps to make camp counseling more common. We should consider a tax credit or financial aid for counselors who might otherwise take a better-paying job. And employers and college-admissions officers need to hear how the camp-counselor experience prepares successful young adults through teamwork, empathy, cross-cultural understanding, ability to work with subordinates and superiors, creativity, working under pressure and managing with limited resources.
In most societies throughout history, older children have always cared for younger children. The anthropologist Margaret Mead called caretaking a “pivot” role: a person doing something for someone else that was once done for him or her. As she trenchantly noted: “Just as a child is getting old enough so that its willfulness is becoming unbearable, a younger one is saddled upon it … each child being disciplined and socialized through the responsibility for a still younger one.” Among all the foregoing benefits, here’s yet one more: camp counselors may come to appreciate their parents’ hard work too.
Should I Be Sending My Children To Camp?
Some six million children in the United States are preparing psychologically to go away to sleepaway camp. Whether these departing children are camp veterans or nervous rookies, they are mentally rehearsing being away from mom and dad, their comfortable beds, their pets, favorite meals and, of course, their beloved iPhones, Facebook and video games.
During the winter their parents made the decision — and found the money — to make it possible for their kids to leave their families and their comfortable homes so that they could spend a week or two or four in a rustic, more-or-less uncomfortable cabin getting bitten by mosquitoes. They will live with a bunch of other kids, some of whom are fantastic, others quite annoying. They will eat a balanced diet of grilled cheese sandwiches and Fudgesicles with the occasional corn dog for good measure. They will play fun but aimless games like “Capture the Flag” and sit around campfires watching hilarious, dumb skits that almost no one remembers two days later (except the authors, of course). They will master skills such as archery and kayaking, horseback riding and waterskiing, none of which will impress their varsity coach or their AP Bio teacher when they return to school.
While the campers are messing about in the woods, many of their peers will be attending summer school or specialized skills programs. Their responsible, if sometimes Tiger-ish, moms and dads will be investing their money in their children’s future differently, sending them to one-week soccer and lacrosse programs, SAT prep courses and unpaid internships designed to polish skills, boost scores and impress college admissions officers. Instead of spending three weeks at an all-around camp, these children will be focused on skill-building, sometimes in three different specialized programs to which their parents drive them every day (allowing time for that all-important debrief in the car going home).
Which set of parents has it right? Or more to the point: Does an overnight camp experience still make sense in this competitive, resume-building world? From this psychologist’s point of view, the answer is a resounding YES. I believe that children develop in profound ways when they leave their parents’ house and join a camp community.
Learning to sleep away from home is, of course, a critical step on the way to independence. Part of the challenge is beating homesickness, which may be hard for some children, and which, by definition, your parents cannot help you do. Kids know they have to do this sooner or later. As my son once remarked with horror, “If you can’t learn to sleep away from home, you have to live with your parents for the rest of your life.” But beyond that, there are things that, as a parent, you cannot do for your children, as much as you might wish to. You cannot make them happy (if you try too hard they become whiners); you cannot give them self-esteem and confidence (those come from their own accomplishments); you cannot pick friends for them and micro-manage their social lives, and finally you cannot give them independence. The only way children can grow into independence is to have their parents open the door and let them walk out. That’s what makes camp such a life-changing experience for children.
After conducting hundreds of interviews of campers and former campers for my book, “Homesick and Happy: How Time Away from Parents Can Help a Child Grow,” I know that many young people do not really know how strong they are, how competent they are or even who they are until they get away from their parents and test themselves in a new and challenging environment. Many children told me the best thing about camp was, “I can really be myself here.” What do they mean by that? I am pretty sure I know the answer. When children are away from their parents, they do not have to view their own life and achievements through the lens of my-athlete-father-standing-on-the-sidelines-watching-me or my-mother-is-worried-that-I’ll fail. When a child is on his own, the experience is his alone, the satisfaction belongs only to him and he does not have to filter it through what his parents think and feel.
For the dedicated, loving and anxious parent, letting a child go can be tough. “Will she be happy at camp? Will he make friends? Will she be homesick?” But homesickness can often be confused with a parent’s childsickness. The director of a girls’ camp in Massachusetts tells me she has more and more parents of 9-year-olds calling to say, “Well, she’s ready for camp, but I’m not ready to have her leave.” If you want an independent child, you have to master your own childsickness. Try remembering the sweetest moments from your own childhood. Most adults tell me that the sweetest, most memorable times of their childhood were when they were away from their parents, doing something with friends in the out-of-doors, taking a challenge or doing something a bit risky. That sounds like camp to me.
By the way, when I interviewed college admissions officers about how they view campers, they say that they think former campers are more likely to succeed in college because they have had successful experiences away from home, and they are always impressed by seniors who have been counselors looking after younger children. Camp helps build confidence and identity; it also builds leadership skills.
Michael Thompson, Ph.D
2013 Camp Dates
Camp families,
I hope all is well and life is getting back to normal if you were effected by the hurricane! Because of the storm and a lot of school districts ending later this year, we have decided to push camp back 1 week. The new dates are:
- Session 1: Sunday June 30 – Saturday July 20
- Session 2: Sunday July 21 – Saturday August 10
If you have any questions please call the camp office at 866-283-5943. You can re-enroll online anytime to take advantage of our early enrollment discount.
Best,
Brian
CAMP BLOG
I apologize for not posting the daily camp blogs on our website. Here is a recap and we promise to do a better job for the rest of the summer.
Thanks,
Koop
Our First Day at Bridgton
June 26, 2012
Bridgton’s Daily Blog
We managed to squeeze our major`s in between some heavy down pours. Despite the weather we all managed to have a really great first day. For the rest of the season Koop will be scheduling all rain for after evening activities! 😉
However the rain couldn’t interfere with our dining hall experience, we really enjoyed our dinner and thought it was Thanksgiving in June!
After having a hectic day full of meeting new friends, new counselors and doing our sports we all headed to the humanities building for a night of movies and snacks, a great way to relax after such a fun filled day.
June 27, 2012
Bridgton’s Daily Blog
The weather did not interfere with our majors or minors today! We got to play all the sports that were not possible yesterday. Koop kept the rain off until after dinner.
We even managed to have our first line up at lunch yesterday where we discussed all our achievements. The first fish of the season was caught and two boys got up on water skis for the first time, You could here the round of applause for miles!
Tonight the campers will take part in our famous scavenger hunt! More news
June 28, 2012
Bridgton’s Daily Blog
Finally a day of Maine weather!!!! Blue skies, dry fields, and no heat. Perfect for all our activities.
The scavenger hunt was a huge success. The teams ran the entire camp more than once. Thank you Ryan for such clever clues that even rhymed. The campers actually figured it out before some of the counselors.
Whoops almost forgot. Thank you Chef Chris for a taco station last evening. The boys really enjoyed creating their dinner. Tonight will be the first cookout of the season, and I’m sure everybody is excited to talk to their parents!
Good Morning From Bridgton
June 29, 2012
Bridgton’s Daily Blog
Yesterday we did it all….. From our “majors” to “minors” to choose-up.
The lake was a little chilly, but it didn’t stop us from tubing, wake boarding, canoeing, fishing, and going down the slide.
Crafts is becoming a popular place this summer. Wait till you see the cool things we bring home.
We had our first cook out of the season. Hamburgers, hotdogs, and even veggie burgers. A fun time getting to eat on the hill or under a tree with our favorite counselors!
Hope you all enjoyed hearing from your boys last night!!!
Good morning From B.S.C.
June 30, 2012
Bridgton’s Daily Blog
Another day of beautiful blue skies. Temperatures are rising in the high 80’s today. A heat waive for Maine!
Last evening we had our first campfire. Our new camper’s and counselors stood and were applauded. Our youngest camper added last year’s ashes to the fire. These ashes will be collected and put into the 2013 camp fire. A tradition to ask your kids about.
Koop talked to us about camp traditions, values, making lifetime friends, reaching our potential, and setting goals for the summer. The evening was culminated by roasting marshmallows and making s’mores.
LAZY BONES SUNDAY
July 01, 2012
Bridgton’s Daily Blog
Good morning parents. Some of your boys are up, and some are taking full advantage of Lazy Bones Sunday. They’re going to need their rest—–This coming week will be jam packed!! A sneak preview to follow
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Yesterday was a typical camp day. Regular activities, and the boys were given the opportunity to change their schedules. Archery and crafts is becoming very popular. NEW RULE on warm days best joke gets the bucket 🙂
Last night was movie night. The younger campers saw Hugo, and the older boys saw Billy Madison up in the air conditioned Humanities Hall. Fun was had by all.
This past week was devoted to skills, and some strong coaching from our staff……..This upcoming week we have a big soccer tournament at Indian Acres, one basketball game and two tournaments, a baseball game here, and our on going dodge ball rivalry with Camp Wigwam. The evenings are just as packed with activities. We will be having casino night, the sea dog baseball game in Portland, skating social on our very popular ice rink, and another movie night.
I will keep you posted on all events through the week.
The Word Around Camp
July 02, 2012
Bridgton’s Daily Blog
The word around camp….” I can’t believe I’ve been here a week already !” Yes, it’s going really fast.
Yesterday all campers got a break from Their regular schedule. After a lazy bones sleep in– the Rookies had a slip and slide wiffleball game. The Pros’s had a kickball game, and the Seniors used the entire football field for ultimate freebie. In the heat of the afternoon we were actually wearing our sweat shirts for broom ball at the ice rink. Evening activity was the best….capture the flag. We even got to watch the Euro Cup. Our Spanish campers were ecstatic!!!
Today our soccer players are off to their own soccer tournament at Indian Acres. They will be competing against camps in the area. Stay tuned for an update tomorrow.
SOCCER TO THE CASINO
July 03, 2012
Bridgton’s Daily Blog
The soccer tournament was at Camp Indian Acres yesterday. It was a split. We lost the first game, but the boys rallied and came back to win the second match. Three cheers for them. We are very proud here at B.S.C.
Last night campers dressed for the occasion……CASINO NIGHT. Our counselors went all out. We had a bouncer, cocktail waitress, bar tenders, pit boss, dealers, and Stone was a major hit as disc jockey. Campers were given B.S.C. money to buy drinks, cotton candy, popcorn, or gamble. After you view the pictures you’ll see how much fun was had by all.
Sea Dogs baseball game and fireworks tonight….
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY !!!!!!!
July 04, 2012
Bridgton’s Daily Blog
Happy 4Th of July From B.S.C.
Yesterday most of the campers went to Camp Wigwam in the morning. Age 11 and under played kickball and 13 and under played basketball.
In the afternoon there was a free skate. Anyone that wanted to try skating was welcome on the ice. Rumor around camp….. We might have more hockey majors next summer.
At 4pm we put on our Bridgton shirts and boarded the buses. We were off to Portland to the Sea Dog baseball game. The entire trip was great from the ride, our pizza dinner, the girls we met from local camps, the firework display at the ball park, and oh yes almost forgot the GAME! It was an awesome trip from start to finish. We came back late, and Koop let us sleep in this morning. Just an extra hour.
Hope everybody has a great 4Th.
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LIFE IS GOOD
July 05, 2012
Bridgton’s Daily Blog
Life is Good
Blue skies high of 82 and no humidity!!!! Perfect weather for our 15 & under baseball game against Camp Wigwam. Better yet it’s a home game so we can all cheer for our guys.
Late yesterday afternoon we had some strong storms go through. It gave us the opportunity to all be in the gym to practice our dodge ball skills. We have our rival camp coming for a rematch.
Last night we had our skating social with Camp Walden. Stone was the disc jockey, and the word around camp they didn’t want it to end. Sorry no pictures.
Tonight is our 2nd. cook out and phone calls. I know you’re all looking forward to hearing from your boys.
Bridge WHAT?!?!
July 06, 2012
Bridgton’s Daily Blog
Bridge WHAT ?!?!
We cheered and had so much fun watching our team score 8 runs against Camp Wigwam. Final score 8-4. A major victory for Bridgton! We will be posting a ton of baseball pics. Enjoy!
At evening line up we had our first rocket launch of the season. We were anxiously awaiting blast off. Three attempts and nothing was happening. Wouldn’t you know as soon as I put my camera away we had a successful lift off and a landing right near the barbecue.
We had our 2nd cookout, and you already know our evening activity. I’m sure you all enjoyed hearing the latest news from your boys.
BASKETBALL BASKETBALL
July 07, 2012
Bridgton’s Daily Blog
A busy day at the hoops!
This is a report from Coach Whit Lesure……..
“13 and under basketball tournament….competitive first half, trailing by 6. We lost but overall good showing. The second game we trailed early by 8 and cut it to 3 in second half. We lost by 10 but over all a more consistent effort. Our guys are proud.”
Following dinner Koop took our 15 and under basketball players to Camp Wildwood. The game was tied, and went into overtime. We lost at the buzzer. Koop was so proud of these guys they played their hearts out! Koop told me ” we really took it to them!!!!” Big improvement from last summer.
This time I had my camera ready and captured the rocket launch on film. In the evening we met at the players lounge to make ice cream sundays, shoot some pool, and watch baseball on TV. It was good to chill!!
Bridgton Sports Camp 2012 begins tomorrow
We are ready! It has been a long and exciting week. The staff arrived on Tuesday and have been busy in meetings to learn everything they need to know about camp. We have also been working hard on getting the facility into top shape, scheduling and learning about all of the coming to Bridgton. My old camp director always said that a camp is only as good as it’s staff and after spending the week in training I believe we have a great team and they are ready to get started. Tomorrow the campers arrive and we will hit the ground running. Looking forward to seeing all of the old/new campers for session 1 at camp tomorrow!
Message from our Assistant Director
Hi everyone! My name is Wade LeBlanc, and I’ll be the Assistant Director at Bridgton Sports Camp this summer. As a young adult, I spent six summers working as a camp counselor and was fortunate to meet Koop, our BSC Director. At the time, I had no idea how long lasting our friendship, and my passion for the camping business, would be.
I’ve been invested in Bridgton Sports Camp since its conception in the fall of 2010, and was very eager to see it come alive last summer. For medical reasons, I was unable to join the BSC team at that time. However, now that I’m 100% healthy, I can’t wait to join you all for a FANTASTIC summer.
As a middle school math teacher in Nova Scotia, Canada I know the importance of creating a fun, yet purposeful, atmosphere for youth, whether they’re learning about algebra or how to score goals. I LOVE camp, and promise to bring all of my energy and enthusiasm to the table this summer. I can’t wait to visit all of the sport programs, watch a ball game at the Player’s Lounge, and meet all of the campers and counselors that form the BSC family.
As a member of the camping community, I think that it’s very important to set goals for the summer. My main goal is to go ice skating. Even though I’m Canadian, I haven’t been on a pair of ice skates in 13 years. Brace yourselves!
The countdown is on. Only a few short weeks until the first session begins. See you there!
February update
The good news is that camp is only 4 months away! I wish we had a colder winter and a better ski season but with spring, comes a renewed excitement for camp. I am back in Philadelphia for 2 weeks before hitting the road again and thought it was a good time to update the BSC community.
Over the past few months I have been traveling all over the country visiting our new and existing families. I also had the chance to sit down with Scott (assistant director) when I was down in Florida and Stone (head counselor) in Maryland. Both are doing well and we had the opportunity to talk about camp and some great additions & changes we will be implementing this summer. We will have a complete update in our Spring Newsletter. Speaking of the newsletter, we have begun putting it together and could use your help. If you have anything that is newsworthy or think should be included, please email it to us at [email protected]. Currently enrolled families, you will receive a separate newsletter that will help you prepare your child for camp. It will contain information on our policies and procedures, travel to/from camp, a packing list, and much more.
Our early enrollment ends this Monday, March 5. You can take advantage of this discount by enrolling online by Monday night. If you have any questions call the office at 866-283-5943.
I am back on the road beginning March 14, with the ACA Camp Conference in Atlantic City. This is a great way to connect with other directors to talk about camp while sharing ideas. After the conference I am driving up to camp for a few meetings. I’ll be making stops along the way in NY, CT, MA, NH, and ME for home visits. For new families this is the perfect opportunity to learn more about Bridgton and have all your questions answered. Please call the camp office if you’re a new family interested in learning more about BSC.
That’s all for now! I hope everyone has a great spring break and BSC families, look for the newsletter in your mailbox this April.
Koop
That’s A Wrap
I cant believe the summer is almost over! It honestly seems like just yesterday when we were all at the opening camp fire talking about our goals and what we wanted to accomplish over the course of camp. It was an unbelievable summer with so many new friendships formed and memories that will last forever! We will be posting camp updates on our facebook page during the “off-season”. If you haven’t done so already, please go to the Bridgton Sports Camp Facebook page and like us. I hope that everyone has a great Labor Day Weekend and strong start to the school year!
Koop
