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Happy 4th of July Parents! At seven this morning the campers that signed up for the four mile run through Bridgton were in the van. This year we had a runner come in 6th. Very proud of him!!! A lot of patriotic campers were wearing red, white & blue today. I saw some great outfits right down to socks.
Busy day…. we had two groups leave camp. One group went out for street hockey and we hosted another camp for 15 and baseball. The 11 and under soccer players went to another camp as well.. Patiently sitting here waiting for some scores.

At hockey, Coach said he will email me the drills that he has the majors doing. Now hockey parents will know exactly what’s happening on the ice.

The much anticipated “Lazy Bones Sunday” has arrived. There are rules. Campers may not leave their rooms till 8 am. They must leave quietly trying not to disturb anyone still sleeping especially their counselors! They can play tennis, gaga, basketball etc. The dinning hall opens at nine and closes at 10:00. A true lazy camper/counselor can sleep till 10 and just appear at the line up. Campers have the option of cold cereal, yogurt and assorted fruits, bagels, and toast. The perk on Sunday…… Koop has a huge assortment of dunkin donuts. LIMIT TWO PER CAMPER.

The morning is free play. Campers really enjoy the loose structure after a long hard week at their majors and minors. Three buses pulled in promptly at three. Campers all wearing their “Bridgton Blues” boarded the busses for a pizza picnic and off to the Sea Dogs game. After the game there is an amazing display of fireworks. I’m sure you will get all the details tomorrow evening when you receive the long awaited phone call.

Koop has put an order into our N. Bridgton weather service. The entire holiday weekend will be incredible! Just what we want for the trip into Portland to see the Sea Dogs game. Afterwards campers will see an amazing display of fireworks.

The boys appear to be very satisfied with their schedules this session. We’ve had to make only a few changes. Now, if they could just stop loosing them around camp we’d be in great shape 😉

This morning after clean up I followed some campers to see what minors they were doing. Seniors were having a very competitive flag football game. On the far side of field the baseball majors were being timed for different sprints. There were some pretty fast speeds recorded by Coach Mike. He keeps stats on his majors to see the progress they make during the session. Next I watched a little “King of the Court” followed by our new minor STREET HOCKEY. This is becoming extremely popular with the boys. I’ve watched some great games and they will go out of camp to play in a few tournaments.

Arts and crafts is held in the basement of the church on campus. On a hot day the boys love to hang out, listen to music, chat, and chill. Today was no exception. They were making their own mazes in CD cases. Very clever project I had to take a picture of a few.
Fifth period everyday is “choose-up.” Campers can go to any activity they want. I decided to watch the boys down at the lake.

Evening activity was movie night. Tomorrow is LAZY BONES SUNDAY. I think everyone is looking forward to a sleep in.

Another picture perfect day at BSC. Down at the lake a camper caught a five and a half pound wide mouth bass. This is an all time record here at camp.Campers were wake boarding and skiing and there were several first time ups on the skis. We had bulls eyes in archery. scores galore at street hockey. Basketball majors were doing a series of drills dribbling two balls at the same time.

Lunch was a treat for our Philly group. Nothing like a good steak sandwich. After an extending rest hour (which campers loved) we squeezed in the rest of the swim tests. Tonight was BSC league and three on three basketball.
Dinner was an Italian feast. We had baked manicotti and celebrated a campers birthday.

A picture perfect day in Bridgton. The 16 and under soccer team left bright and early this morning. More about their day later.

Up on the field majors were hard at work. Coach Mike had the boys doing a series of throwing drills followed by base running, and batting practice. I watched flag football where I got to see some amazing plays and quite a few touchdowns. I always enjoy hearing campers root their teammates on. Hockey majors were put through some vigorous drills in the morning and they scrimmaged in the afternoon. One of the drills I got to watch was 3 on 3 using their opposite hand. Let’s not leave basketball out. Coach Whitt comes to the court with an array of different drills to improve their game and take them to the next level.

First time since camp started I went to visit arts and crafts. The place is usually full of conversation and music. Today you could hear a pin drop. The boys were each building their own rocket following some rather difficult instructions.

A tradition at Bridgton……Tonight is our first camp fire. At the beginning of every season the campers write their goals on a piece of wood. Those goals range anywhere from making new friends to improving in their game. At the closing campfire they share those goals and tell their fellow campers what goals were met before tossing the wood in the fire. Koop saves the ashes and they will be added to next years campfire.

We are so proud of the 16 and under boys soccer team. They won all three of their matches and reached the finals. The game ended in a tie. We lost in a shoot out. They came back with a second place trophy. They were truly amazing.

I went down to the lake this morning and was amazed that I hardly noticed a ripple in the water. A fantastic opportunity for wake boarding and water skiing. The boat is in tip top shape and is out there all day long. Definitely fun to watch campers dropping a ski, slaloming, and wake boarding. Several campers tried skiing for the very first time today. It’s not alway easy getting up your first few times, but they can’t wait to try it again.
We had the entire fleet of canoes on the lake and this year Koop added a few kayaks. One of the campers caught a wide moth bass. The lake was the place to be!

This evening was free play. Boys were in the gym playing their 3 on 3 tournaments. Up on the fields guys were enjoying soccer and a little lax. Most of the rookies were at the Gaga pit. Always a popular place to hang out and play.
We managed to get through the entire day with just a few clouds, but by eight o’clock we are having some much needed rain. All boys are indoors and enjoying the cool temperatures that are more typical in Maine.

I spent the day up on the fields. It was my first visit to archery, and I saw a few bulls eyes. Very impressive!! Boys were being taught safety first and the proper way to load and shoot. The weather was warmer today and everyone enjoyed all the water breaks. Today Koop joined the soccer minors on the pitch for a match. A fun time was had by all, and there was great goal tending on both ends of the field. Campers spent the late afternoon at the lake taking swim tests, which was a welcome activity as it was a perfect day to cool off in the lake.

In our majors: Tryouts were held today for the 16 and under soccer tournament that will take place this coming Thursday. Coach Whit is impressed with the talent on the basketball court. And our hockey and lacrosse majors are quickly picking up the new drills.

Our meals were great today! At lunch, we enjoyed “Taco Tuesday”! And this evening, the boys were thrilled to see five different types of pizza, soda and fresh strawberry shortcake.

In line-up, funny jokes were told, so a few campers missed out on “the bucket”!

Evening activity was a continuation of BSC Leagues. For the older boys, Coach Aren has created a 3 on 3 tournament that will carry on through the entire session. They are creating some great team names for this league including: Deer Isle Dreamcatchers, Jackman Jackhammerin’ Jackrabbits, and the Waldoboro County Wind Chimes.

I know the boys will sleep well tonight!

AND WE ARE OFF!!!!!!

With blue skies and a nice breeze campers were up and at breakfast by 8 o’clock. With choices galore. They had their pick of waffles, eggs, yogurt, fruit, granola, bagels, toast, oatmeal, and what would any breakfast be without lucky charms.

Immediately following they all met in one of our larger buildings… The Humanity Center. It has a huge lecture room and this is where the boys received their activity schedules.

During the morning I saw a new minor. We have turned one of our tennis courts into street hockey. This was run by one of our hockey coaches. Looks like this is going to be a popular minor! Up on the fields lax majors were going through a series of drills. Baseball majors were doing the same. Hockey players were given lockers and meeting Coach Warde and learning about the program. In the afternoon they were on the ice. Looks like we have some real talent this summer.

Parents of soccer and basketball…….. I promise to visit those majors tomorrow and have some great photo’s for you.

I heard the lake was a little choppy but that didn’t stop the boys from waterskiing, wake boarding, tubing and canoeing. I never heard if any fish were caught.

At the end of activities we always have a line up. That’s where counselors share special moments of the day. The boys are cheered and applauded. We also have the joke of the day. If the joke doesn’t get a thumbs up they get the bucket. On a hot day we hear a lot of bad jokes.

After dinner we had BSL (Bridgton Sports League) Camp is divided into 6 teams, The Badgers, Tree’s, Bull Dogs, Horn Frogs, Crimson’s, and Ducks. They compete all summer long. Winners have a pizza party and their names on a huge trophy. They are playing cricket, dodgeball and all fun events. Teams are comprised of all ages. From Rookies to seniors.

After an exhilarating week of orientation…. we were ready to meet and greet our campers.
Koop wasted no time having games up on the field. For new parents, BSC is divided into three groups by age and grade. Rookies (youngest) played kick ball on the soccer field. Pro’s (middle) played handball on the football field. Seniors had their own game of kickball on the baseball field.
We had a line up where campers were introduced to all counselors at camp. Followed by a dinner of chicken fingers, pasta, salad bar, and cupcakes for desert.
After dinner there was an evening activity followed by dorm meetings and settling in.

“I could never,” the stranger in line in front of me at Target exclaimed with her hand clenched against her chest.

Moments earlier, she overheard me on the phone asking my 10-year-old son how many tubes of sunscreen he went through last Summer and if he needed a new fan this year. She asked where we were headed, which, based on the overflowing nature of my shopping cart, I understood. I laughed, telling her it wasn’t “we” — it was “he.” He was going to sleepaway camp for the Summer and I was trying to get a head start on packing. That, of course, led to questions about how long and where and why. To which I answered, seven weeks, five hours away, and because we love him and want him to experience all that camp has to offer.

That’s when she made her comment. I decided it wasn’t worth any more discussion — I had my reasons and didn’t need to explain them to a stranger — but it did get me thinking. Why do we ship our children away for the Summer?

Both my husband and I went away to camp when we were kids, me for four weeks each Summer and him for eight. Ask us, or really any other kid who did so, and they’ll probably tell you those were the happiest days of their childhoods. We can still sing the songs, tell color war stories until your ears fall off, recall first crushes . . . and first kisses, and remember the distinct smell of the dining hall and the slimy bottoms of the lakes.

What we didn’t realize at the time was everything else we learned. We learned independence. We learned to care for ourselves. Yes, there were counselors there overseeing everything, but we really did learn how to handle so much on our own. Without parents there, we learned to make new friends. We put ourselves out there and tried new activities and new foods. We learned a bit about ourselves without even realizing it.

These are the lessons I want my sons to learn — once both are old enough to go (my youngest is still too young to go). Being away from home is a time to learn about yourself outside of the comforts and security of home. It’s a time to learn to bask in the uncertainty of what comes next or who will be sleeping in the bed next to you. In this age of connectivity, where there’s always a phone, computer, or tablet in sight, it’s a forced break from that. My son’s camp does not allow any electronics and I couldn’t be more grateful. Camp is a time to re-create the carefree days of childhood that my kids’ grandparents — and even their great-grandparents — experienced all those years ago. As city dwellers, it’s also a chance for my kids to experience nature — not at a museum or a park surrounded by buildings, but nature in its natural state.

And, let’s be frank here: it’s always a great break for us, the parents. The hustle and bustle of the school year is exhausting. And by the time the Summer rolls around, we could all use a break from each other. Yes, I spend half my day scrolling through the photos the camp posts for any sign that my child is happy, sad, or really just clean! But the time apart proves that absence does make the heart grow fonder.

Last year, my oldest went off to camp for the first time. He didn’t know a soul. He sat on the bus with a boy he had met a few minutes earlier and a few days later I got a letter from the him that he was loving it. He had already gone camping, canoeing, and water skiing — three things he’d never done in his life. He was playing street hockey and tennis and eating s’mores each night. And the kid I had to drag out of bed each morning for school had joined a Polar Bear club where they jump in the lake first thing every morning. In the matter of three days, he was already making memories. Five weeks later, he was begging us to extend his Summer to the full seven weeks away. We told him we thought he’d had enough for his first Summer, but would gladly do it for the next. Right now, he’s counting down the days on his calendar.

In shipping my kid away for the Summer, I’m giving him something special, whether he knows it or not right now. Just a few weeks ago, we were having one of our frequent arguments about something trivial. He suddenly blurted out that the reason I send him to camp is to “get rid of him for the Summer.” And while in that moment it may have rung true, I told him that wasn’t the case at all — that camp is hardly punishment; it’s a privilege and he’s very lucky to be able to go, that I would never spend the money I do on a camp if it was punishment.

So while the woman in line at Target may never understand why we send our kid to camp, I can think of a thousand reasons. But the best reason is that we’re doing it for him. There’s a saying the campers like to say: “We live 10 months for two.” I can’t think of a better sentiment.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Rebecca Gruber