Author: Brian Kooperman

From the ice down to the lake… Three cheers for your boys!!! From skating techniques to getting up on skies for the first time. It’s great to hear all the shout outs they are getting at line up. This is the place where we hear the accomplishments of the day and we are hearing PLENTY.

We had a full morning of activities. We managed to squeeze in choose up, and then the skies opened up. We ran for cover to the field house and had a huge game of dodge ball.

After dinner we showered and spruced up for an evening on the town. Casino Night has come to Bridgton.

We looked cool and played the part from black jack to roulette. Counselors did not miss a beat. There were bouncers at the door, cotton candy and popcorn machines. Snow cones and drinks could all be purchased for tickets we got at the door. Each camper was given over $ 500.00 dollars of ” hot off the press” BSC money. They tried their luck at a variety of different tables. The high rollers were given a pass to go up in our lounge for some poker. The music was blasting the guys were keeping the beat. At the end of the night their money is collected and counted. Tomorrow special prices will be given to the highest winners.

Close game but the Sea Dogs were not victorious. I heard the fire works were incredible after the game. Even better then the 4th of July! The buses pulled in late and Koop let the boys have an extra hour of sleep this morning.

Majors never know what’s in store for them…..

This morning hockey was split into two groups. A scrimmage on the ice and the other half got some sun up on the field. Coach Mike put them through a mini boot camp. Lotta drills geared towards strength and agility.

Baseball majors loved using the new pitching machine. We have some real sluggers. The Sea Dogs could have used us last night!

Soccer majors played “soccer tennis” on the volley ball court. The boys were amazing. They really showed Coach Green how they could keep the ball in the air.

Lax had their own scrimmage on the field with some very competitive play.

I caught the tail end of basketball and they ended their period with some fast paced drills.

Chicken nuggets for lunch, a quick rest hour, and our 10 and under campers hosted Camp Wigwam with a soccer and Gaga match. Soccer was a tight match. We lost by one goal. I don’t think the boys from Wigwam ever played gaga, but we explained the rules and BSC won the best out of five games.

A jam packed day from 9-5. Perfect night to see a movie up in the air conditioned Humanities building.

Today marked our first full day of Color War, bringing waves of campers all decked out in black and red out of their dorms, up the hill, and onto the fields. Three big sporting events started things off this morning: Seniors on the Basketball court, Rookies playing Flat-Football, and Pros out on the Soccer pitch.

Don’t worry, coaches and counsellors got into it too. Campers weren’t the only ones wearing black and red t-shirts, bandanas, and arm bands. Our BSC leaders cheered on their teams and congratulated their opponents, setting a fine example of the good sportsmanship all BSC athletes should aim for.

Track and Field events occupied our afternoon: campers gave it their all in the 50 and 200 meter dash, 4 x 200 meter relay, football and baseball toss, and an always fun to watch good old game of tug of war.

Tonight we wrapped things up with the Wacked Up Relay and A Minute to Win It. Just in time for some evening rain showers. What a great sound to fall asleep to!

After a long day at Fun-Town Splash-Town catching rays and makes waves, we rolled back into camp for a rest. Ready to relax before bed in the Wolverine’s Den, we thought we’d catch a game on the TV and hit the hay early.

Little did we know….!!

All of a sudden, the BSC Counselors are whizzing by – here, there and everywhere. Voices raised, shouting instructions, pumping us up, and driving us out…with our interest peaked and our hearts pumping, we followed our leaders up the hill and onto the BSC line-up circle. It was there that we embarked on the biggest Scavenger Hunt we’ll ever be apart of: over to the archery field, down to the Gaga Pit, into the ice rink, through the Humanities Centre, and so on and so forth until we filed into the Gym for the biggest surprise of all…

Color War was broken…Black Hawks vs. the Heat 2013! Go Red! No, go Black! No, go Red! Go Black!

Kicking things off were 2 big games of Dodge Ball – Rookies vs. Rookies and a mix of Pro-Seniors vs. Pro-Seniors.

BSC Campers….let the Games Begin!!

Koop put in a special order….Finally someone was listening….blue skies and not a drop of humidity. This is what Maine is supposed to be like in the summer. Perfect for Lax, Soccer, and Baseball.

Baseball majors got to use the pitching machine this morning. They ended with home run derby. Always a favorite with campers.
Soccer majors had a stretch, and worked on different drills. I happen to arrive when they were doing soccer / golf. This was a kicking exercise for distance and accuracy.
The gym was rocking! I got to see each major dribbling two balls at a time. Hard to do, but they were great. Same for hockey. I watched all the guys practicing their shots on goal. Not too many pucks got by our two goalies.
Lax majors were all using long sticks working on defense.

Chef fooled us at lunch. We were sure it was pizza but it was tacos. They were quite the hit. We celebrated a camper’s birthday. What could be better for desert then cake :))

Three groups left camp for competition today….. flag football, tennis, and hoops.

A totally great day from the pitch to gaga. We’re ordering more of the same for tomorrow

After a slight delay, we held the 3rd annual BSC opening campfire last night and I am pleased to report it was our best one yet.

In keeping with tradition, last year’s campfire ashes were placed in the pit and our youngest camper assisted us in bringing the fire to life. A veteran counsellor started off the night with an inspirational message about giving back to your community and doing good onto others. His wisdom really hit home with our young boys and men…you could hear a pin drop as he spoke of his own incredible effort to help those who are less fortunate. Camper participation was at an all-time high this year, with campers of all ages sharing personal stories about overcoming their fears, taking risks, and the immeasurable benefits of coming to camp. It was amazing to see the positive messages and brotherly nature coming from BSC campers. We topped off the night with a quick song (‘Stand by Me’) and sticky sweet S’mores, yum!

Today, unfortunately, was a rainy one, but we still managed to focus on the positive. Lunch was a delicious spread of chimichangas, rice, and cornbread. Dinner was equally appetizing with a menu of BBQ chicken, baked potatoes and veggies. We also lucked out in the dessert department with two of our favourites, chocolate chip cookies and ice-pops. Even better, after a few days of minimal mail (due to the holiday) the North Bridgton post office had so many parcels and packages for us, they offered to deliver. How sweet of them!

Tonight is Casino Night, another BSC tradition – tune in tomorrow to see if anyone had a lucky streak!

*NEWSFLASH* – check out our photo page to see how well our campers represented youth sport and Bridgton Sports Camp at the Portland Sea Dogs game last Thursday. We apologize for the delay, but promise it is worth the wait! We are so proud of them!

It was another eventful day at Bridgton Sports Camp, folks. Today marked our first Suit-Up Saturday, where Hockey Majors and Counsellors divvy up into 2 teams (the Wacky Warthogs and the Powerful Pelicans) and go head to head against one another. The game was a close one, but most importantly everyone played hard and had a ball doing it.

Our BSC 15 and under Basketball Team took their turn at the Indian Acres Camp tournament, and picked up a big Win (49-21) against Fryeburg Academy, which put them in 3rd seed and into the semi-finals. As our BSC squad took on Winoca in the second preliminary game they also matched up in the playoff. With valiant efforts from every man on the bench, BSC went into the half down 1. After a recuperation and some coaching adjustments, BSC kept the game close as they rounded into the final minutes holding a 6 point gap. After several strategic fouls, BSC dropped the semi final 38-26. Not to worry, coaches came back to camp raving about the brilliant effort and excellent sportsmanship of the BSC team. It was something to be proud of!

Lacrosse coaches were also very complimentary of BSC campers today. New players were making big moves on the field and our tenacious goalies maintained some amazing energy in spite of extreme heat. One camper in particular, has the right to be proud after coming up ‘Sharks & Minnows’ champion 2 days in a row. Can he make it 3?

There were lots of notable plays and athletes among our Minors today too, making for 10+ shout-outs at line-up today. In Flag Football, coaches and campers bore witness to a few amazing touch-downs, while a few campers nailed the target each and every time in Archery this morning. Knee-boarders and Wake-boarders had a blast out on the water, doing some tricks and enjoying life on the lake.

BSC campers were given a surprise honor last night at the Portland Sea Dogs game. During the singing of the National Anthem, campers were invited out on the field to hold the American flag with pride and meet some of the baseball players. It was definitely a moment for the memory books!

After a fun-filled night at the Sea Dogs game (topped off with a spectacular display of Fourth of July Fireworks), we switched gears quickly this morning, in preparation for several inter-camp sporting events.

The BSC Basketball team (13 and under) were off to Indian Acres Camp bright and early for a tournament, while the Hockey crew (12 and under) made their way over to Camp Wig Wam for a game of good old fashioned Street Hockey. On the home side of things, BSC hosted another group of Wig Wam campers for a 15 and under Soccer match. While all of our athletes played hard, the BSC goaltenders were especially impressive, getting a number of shout-outs from their coaches at line-up this afternoon. Coaches praised their ability to hold up under pressure and noted the importance of that ‘never give up’ attitudes. Well done, goalies, well done!

Happy 4th of July!

It was nice to see members of the BSC team celebrating this great nation’s independence today. Many a camper and counselor were decked out in red, white, and blue in honour of the holiday.

A scorcher here in Bridgton today, the water-based activities were especially refreshing for our campers this morning. Those who didn’t get to cool off in the lake tried desperately to tell a joke good enough (staff reversed the rules, given the intense heat) to warrant a bucket of water over their heads, but to no avail. Better luck next time kids!

Tonight marks BSC’s annual trip to a Portland Sea Dogs baseball game. It was a spiffy looking bunch boarding the bus in their Bridgton blues. After a picnic lunch in a local park consisting of pizza, juice, and snacks, our campers will take in the ball game and a fantastic fireworks display.

We’ve had some rain over the last few days, but today was definitely our rainiest so far. There was also a big drop in the temperature, so we had to break out some sweaters and jackets for the first time this Session. Lucky for us, Koop seems to have it on good authority that the next few days will include just a little bit of rain, some clouds, and SUNSHINE. We’re holding him to it!

Regardless of the weather, it was a day filled with valuable lessons! Coaches spent some time talking about the mental game involved in sport, highlighting the importance of focus and concentration, which can make or break any play in a split second. They also spoke to the value of leadership, noting that any athlete can wear a ‘C’ on his jersey, but that doesn’t automatically make him a leader. Leadership is earned with hard-work, good sportsmanship, and the ability to be a good role model for others.

It was another excellent day on the water, with a few more catches among our fisherman (a big mouth bass and a sun fish) and several BSC campers showing off some impressive moves on the knee boards and water-skis. Hopefully by tomorrow the sun will be shining and the water will be warm for our swim test.