Author: Brian Kooperman

We are in full swing with color war. A brief wrap up:
Baseball did a ground ball knockout followed by a game of wiffle ball.

Soccer did games and drills, one of which was a juggling competition between the two teams. The winner managed to juggle 115 times consecutively winning for their team.

Basket ball was a full court relay which the campers had to do push-ups to layups.

Hockey players were shooting for speed and accuracy.

Lax majors were scoring points for shooting accuracy.

In the afternoon there was a cook-off, banner making, and a jeopardy contest. Rookies, pros, and senior rotated to all three events.

At the end of the day their was only one point difference. Don’t ever remember scores being so close.

As I am writing the buses from Fun-town Splash-town just pulled in. The campers were all charged up. Talking about their favorite rides etc.. The counselors on the other hand looked exhausted. I’m sure everyone will sleep well and appreciate a late wake up.

White Water Rafting just called they will be back safe and sound shortly. They had an amazing adventure. Great time had by all!!!!

Tomorrow we have several campers going out to a tennis tournament. At camp the color war games will begin. Stay tuned.

We had an amazing Monday, Majors were in full swing. As a matter of fact that’s exactly what was happening at baseball. Major were in the cage getting instruction on their swings.

Senior hockey majors suited up in whatever. From no jerseys to sunglasses. They looked funny, but in no way did that carry over into their skating.

Eleven and under campers were out of camp. We had basketball and soccer tournaments.

There were worms to go around and plenty of fish coming out of the lake.

At line up we heard every-ones accomplishments and there were many.

As you read this blog …….. COLOR WAR HAS BROKE

A picture perfect day at BSC. Hockey majors took over the lake this morning. Free swim at the lake.

Our 15 and under campers went to a basketball tournament. It was a buzzer winner!!!! They lost in the finals but played hard and made us proud.

Hockey skated hard this afternoon. They rotated in five stations with a shoot out in the end.

Campers cheered to be having a movie night. This Sunday campers definitely will be taking advantage of lazy bones Sunday. They played hard all week.

A picture perfect day. The 13 and under basketball campers left first thing this morning for an inter-camp tournament. There were tryouts for an upcoming baseball game this afternoon.
We are making bull-eyes in archery, catching fish in the lake, getting up on ski’s, celebrating camper birthdays, and capturing the flag for an evening activity.

Big sports day at BSC. I spent the morning up on the fields. I never expected to see Coach Ward on the field with hockey majors. They were doing dry land training. Amazing drills and the if the boys keep it up they will surely see an improvement in their strength and endurance.
In baseball the campers were timed for a 60 yard dash, followed by a game of outfield knockout.
In lacrosse followed by some stick work drills, the campers got their shots timed by a speed gun.
This afternoon we hosted a basketball game against another camp for 15U campers. We played extremely hard and the crowd was going crazy the whole game. The team fed off of the energy from the crowd. We lost the game 52-46 but the campers had a lot of fun.

A great day on and off the fields. Majors and minors were in full swing. Just our baseball majors were out of camp today.

Everybody has been waiting patiently for this evening. The Wolverine Den was transformed once again into The BSC casino. Staff was dressed for the occasion. From bouncers, dealers, to cocktail waitresses. We had cotten candy, popcorn, soft drinks and more. There were games to suit all gamblers. Campers were each given camp money and off they went to try their luck. We even had a high roller game of poker up stairs. Winners will be anounced at lunch tomorrow and prices will be given to the big winners.

Good Evening Parents,

There is a lot happening in the second week of camp. Everyday we have different age groups coming here to or we are leaving to play at other camps.

This morning the rookies left camp to play in a kickball inner-camp tournament. We lost all 4 games and decided this is not a major at Bridgton. They are still trying decide if they should include kick ball as a minor next yr.

This afternoon we hosted a 13 and under basketball game. No problem here. Final score 52 to 35. Our players were amazing. Great shots and defense was right on.

The 15 and under boys left camp for a street hockey game. The game was 2 all and was called for rain. Looking forward to a rematch.

That rain gave Koop the chance to see if anyone wanted a bingo.

While all this competition was going on we still had a full schedule going on here.

How Summer Camp Made Me a Better Person
By Zoe Hammond
Posted May 02 2015 – 10:57am
Tagged SUMMER SLEEPAWAY CAMP CAMPERS COUNSELORS

Have you ever had that moment when you realized your childhood was over? Maybe it was when you said “goodbye” to your parents after they dropped you off at college, or when you did your own taxes for the first time, or when you realized that Disney hid slightly scandalous jokes in their movies that you did not pick up on when you were younger. Though I myself have been through all of these little milestones before in my young adult life, my realization that my childhood was over did not fully come until this past month when I decided to make one of the toughest decisions I have ever been faced with. This summer, I will not be going back to my summer camp.

If you did not grow up going to a sleepaway camp then this probably will not resonate with you as much as it will for someone who did. Kids who went to summer camp are fortunate enough to have been exposed to some of the most important experiences that just are not possible to explain to others. For us lucky kids whose parents decided to pawn us off on someone else for a couple of weeks during the summer, we would come back each and every time slightly more tan, with dirt covered clothes and mosquito bite covered legs, having experienced some of life’s most important lessons.

Before I can explain why camps have such a profound impact on any camper who attends, I first need to explain how my camp experience changed me, for the better.

Camp taught me independence. My first few years at my summer camp I was incredibly homesick; the kind of homesick where I would fall asleep in my bunk crying because I missed my mom so badly and would beg my counselors to call her. For the record, I would like to apologize to any counselor I had during my homesick phase, I cried a lot. I cannot tell you what changed in me exactly, but one day I realized that moms do not have the magic power to fix everything; a lot of the time only you have the power to fix your own problems. Camp gave me a chance to get out of my comfort zone and learn how to take care of myself. Ironically, years later I became the camp counselor that had to comfort the homesick kids who begged me to call their parents which caused me to experience something even more important than independence. Camp taught me how to take care of others.

Camp made me tolerant. Living with random people from various walks of life and being able to interact with them in a neutral setting opened my eyes to human nature at its core. At camp, it does not matter who you are or where you came from, all that matters is that you are nice to your fellow campers and counselors and that you share your Oreo’s with everyone. I learned to work as a team member in some of the most difficult situations possible by finding the good in people and making the most out of it. Whether it was teaching campers how to water ski, or playing capture the flag games equivalent to guerrilla warfare, you learn to accept others for what they bring to the table. Camp opened my eyes to what attributes truly matter in people.

Camp gave me an outlet. Growing up is hard; school is stressful, friends let you down, and family issues create problems out of your control. Compared to others, my home life was in no way bad, but we all have our own struggles that have the ability to consume us entirely. I would count down the days until I was able to run from these challenges and escape to camp. At camp I could be the best version of myself as a happy, friendly, creative, determined, cool (people thought I was cool lol) girl; my self-confidence surged during the summer time. Camp gave me the freedom to be who I wanted to be.

Camp gave me my best friends. Summer camps are a weird place, any person who has ever gone to one can vouch for me on this fact, but what is even weirder than the place, is the people that choose to go there. The good news? These weirdos have been through the same epiphanies at camp that I have and we already have a bond to last a lifetime. Whether it was showering in the lake, climbing on the roofs of cabins, or just doing general tomfoolery, the best friends I could ever make were there with me. At camp I laughed the hardest, smiled the biggest, and made the best memories I could ever ask for. Camp gave me my soulmates.

Camp made me stronger. I attended my summer camp for over a decade, and during each summer I would become mentally, physically, and spiritually stronger. Whether it was hiking up those incredibly large hills, learning skills for the first time, or reflecting on my personal values, camp gave me time to develop and mature into the person I am today. Living in a world where everything is in constant motion, where we are always pushed to be better, do more, and get ahead, we are not left with much time to actually develop the skills to make ourselves the people we aspire to be. Camp gave me time and a place to grow.

The most important thing my sleepaway camp ever gave me was a home. I found my place in a cabin in Michigan where I felt unconditional love, happiness, and comfort for a couple of weeks out of the year during some of the toughest times of my life. While everyone’s experiences differ, this attribute holds true to any camper, counselor, or alumni of a sleepaway camp that has ever needed a place where our hectic lives could stay the same- even for just a little bit. This is a place we could call our own, where we knew we would always be able to find our friends, family, and even ourselves. Growing up we feel the need to cling to things for comfort for fear that our changing environment will take them away from us. We seek familiarity in all aspects of our life which is what makes leaving behind memories of making s’mores, catching lightning bugs, and watching fireworks on the 4th of July so hard. At camp it seems as though time stops as we are able to run away and reminisce on simpler times in a landscape that seems unchanged. The only problem is time doesn’t stop, all things inevitably change; fires burn out, memories fade, and we age.

I am not the first person to deal with this weird, slightly culty, coming of age, and I certainly will not be the last. As I bid adeiu to my summer camp I realize the immense effect it had on my life and I am incredibly grateful for the lessons it provided me. Yes, I am growing up and yes, I am leaving behind one of the most important places I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing, but the impact it has created on my life will never be forgotten. Camp means a lot of things to a lot of people, and the change we experience over the years is the only thing that will make our camp experiences worthwhile. Because through it all the biggest change that happened was in ourselves.

Summer is almost here and that means school’s out! Parents find themselves in a rut when they have so much to do, but their children don’t, during the summer months.

While having your child watch 10 hours of television a night or play video games throughout the day sounds like an easy fix, it can often impair their cognitive development. The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) reports that most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months.

Alarmingly, children who are at high risk of obesity tend to gain weight more rapidly when they are out of school in the summer due to the lack of physical productivity many face just sitting at home.

Summer camp — day or overnight — provides the opportunity for children to hone in their life-skills and enhance their cognitive and behavioral development.

Every year, more than 11 million children in the United States attend camp – 7,000 are resident (overnight) and 5,000 are day camps reports the American Camp Association (ACA). These camps provide children with a safe, nurturing environment that gives them opportunities for leadership and personal growth.

The decision to send your child off to an overnight summer camp is not an easy task as a parent, especially if you don’t know if they are ready.

Bob Ditter, M.Ed., LCSW, who has worked with children’s summer camps since 1982, believes the best time to send a child to camp depends on the individual child.

“There are some six and seven year-olds who march eagerly off to camp without a problem, while some eleven year-olds cower with a fear of becoming homesick,” said Ditter to PBS.org. For example, children who tend to have friends at home and have slept over a friend’s house are most likely ready for camp compared to a child who has a tough time making friends.

Children need to start to learn how to separate themselves from their families in order to become resilient and less reliant on their parents for healthy cognitive and behavioral development.

Separation from Mom and Dad is “…the primary key psychological and emotional benefit for children and parents going to sleep away camp” said Dr. Fran Walfish, a leading child, teen, parent, and family psychotherapist and author in Beverly Hills, CA, to Medical Daily. Camp is a good way to embed this autonomy and independence in your child to aid as they reach young adulthood.

Separation skills are not only necessary for the children but also for the parents. The advice and tender love and care a parent has provided a child throughout the years will affect their overall development. Once the parent reassures themselves that they are ready for their child to go to camp and accept that the separation is part of life – both parent and child can move forward to planning for summer camp.

It’s time to turn off the cell phones and iPods and help your child pack their bags to give them the experience of a lifetime that will improve their mental health and resilience.

How Resilience Gives Children Encouragement

Children who attend summer camp gain a sense of resiliency when they face new challenges like learning how to build a fire, going on a hike or conquering a high ropes course said Michael Ungar, Ph.D on Psychology Today.

A camp is a nurturing environment where children are encouraged to take safe risks and learn from them whether they succeed or fail. Unlike school, children can try to implement new methods of how to do things without a set time limit on when the task should be done. Summer camp provides the freedom for children to make their own mistakes and learn from them so they know how to cope success and failure.

How Confidence Helps Children Overcome Challenges

Summer camp can aid children with building their self-esteem in a healthy and positive way. The “can-do” attitude is a trait many parents want to instill in their kids. However, this can only be achieved if they are faced with new challenges on their own.

When kids achieve something, big or small, like brushing their own teeth or riding a bike, they have a sense of capability and a fuel of confidence, according to Kids Health.org. Summer camps provide plenty of opportunities for kids to face new challenges and build their self-confidence through the daily achievements they make.

How Independence Builds Character In Children

At camp, children can learn how to do things for themselves without mom or dad supervising them. “Kids learn to be self-reliant and take care of their personal needs including hygiene, nutrition, and sleep” said Walfish to Medical Daily.

In addition, a safe summer camp allows kids to make their own decisions without the guidance of their parents or teacher. They will begin to take care their personal space as they feel a sense of responsibility has been delegated to them.

How Social Skills Help Children Respect Others

Enrolling your child in summer camp means that they will be a part of small community. A sense of belonging will allow your child to establish the social skills that will help him or her have respect for others. For example, when a child shares a cabin with another child, they will have to delegate the responsibilities among themselves such as, brooming and bathroom duty.

Communication is key in this situation and this will help your child understand how to effectively talk to others in a respectful way. Walfish told Medical Daily that kids in summer camp are encouraged “to reach out and develop new friendships with other kids both one-on-one and in groups.”
By Lizette Borelli