Today we had our campers go to their majors from 9-10:30. After that, we had a scavenger hunt where campers got in their BSL teams and went around the camp looking for items to collect in a backpack. The top teams won games for BSL with the playoffs right around the corner. The scavenger hunt lasted until lunch where we had grilled cheese sandwiches!

Once rest hour was over, campers rotated through 6 different activities until dinner. The activities included swimming at the waterfront, going on the pontoon boat, playing corn hole at the ice rink, a spike ball tournament, gaga, and a slip and slide. Each rotation lasted about half an hour so that each age group could have ample time at each station. Then, we finished off the day with a cookout that consisted of sausages and hamburgers, and then free play until bedtime.

Camper Spotlight: Andrew

Andrew is a 10-year-old rookie from New Jersey in his second year of camp. His major is hockey but he also plays lacrosse. Andrew’s favorite parts about camp are the waterfront (waterskiing, fishing, and swimming), hockey, and lacrosse. In terms of what has changed at camp in the past year, Andrew says that there have definitely been changes but that some things have stayed consistent as well. He says that there are a lot of new campers and counselors and returning campers and counselors. Andrew adds that he likes the food this year better than last year. If he could change one thing, Andrew would make gaga a minor because it’s very popular among campers.

Today began with an hour late wake-up after the trip to the Sea Dogs game the night before. After having waffles and sausages for breakfast and cleaning up the dorms, campers went to their majors up until lunch and then back to their dorms for rest hour.

In the afternoon, we had a bit of a modified schedule due to the hot weather. There were 4 different stations that the campers cycled through until dinner time. The waterfront was one as well as the humanities center for a movie, the hockey rink for free skate, and watching the U16 soccer game against Wigwam. Each age group was able to participate in every activity.

After dinner, we had another night of BSL! All the campers competed with their teams in games from handball to newcomb to kickball to gaga. The playoffs are right around the corner as we approach casino night and the start of color war as well!

Counselor profile: Ben Nolan

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Middletown, CT but I moved to Prospect Heights, Illinois after I graduated high school.

How long have you been at BSC?

I was a camper for 3 years, a CIT for one, and now this is my 3^rd year as a counselor.

What keeps you coming back each year?

The friendships I have made in my time here is one. I also really enjoy the elite level that the counselors bring to the sports here at camp.

What are your sports?

I play lacrosse and ice hockey. I currently play Division III lacrosse at Carthage College in Wisconsin and also play in a club hockey league. I have been playing lacrosse for 7 years and ice hockey for 16 years.

If there is one thing you could change about camp, what would it be?

I would make it longer!

Yesterday started off as every other day here at Bridgton Sports Camp. Campers were woken up by their counselors at 7:45 before heading up to breakfast and then cleaning their rooms. The first three periods of the day went on as scheduled with each camper participating in their respective major as well as at least two minor periods. At 12:30, campers headed up to the dining hall for lunch. (Deli Day!!) Then back down to their dorms for rest hour before leaving for the Sea Dogs Game!

Every time we go to the game, we stop at a park just before the Sea Dogs stadium where campers and counselors have a chance to eat pizza before the game. Once at the game, the campers were able to go on the field and hold the flag while former Boston Bruins national anthem singer Rene Rancourt sang all 4 verses! After the anthem, we headed to our seats along the third base line and watched the game. Campers sat with their counselors and we cheered on the dogs. Unfortunately, the game ended in a 2-1 loss for the Dogs.

After the game ended, the whole camp stayed at the stadium for a fireworks display! This is a tradition as we go to the game every year around July 4 to see them. Once the fireworks ended, the campers and counselors headed to the buses to go back to BSC.

Many more exciting things to come this session, including Funtown Splashtown for the rookies and pros, white water rafting for the seniors, and a Red Sox game for the CITs.

Until next time,

Ethan

Hey Everyone – We’re happy to introduce to you our newest segment of the BSC PawPrints Blog. For the first time, this post you are about to read was written by one of our campers. With no counselor assistance, and just a little input from his friends, we give you our first ever camper guest host!

Camper Name: Brad — Major: Ice Hockey — Hometown: Boca Raton, FL

Hi guys, my name is Brad and I’m 13 years old. I’m from Boca Raton, Florida and this is my 3rd summer at BSC. I’ve been an ice hockey major all 3 years. It’s been an amazing time here, and I’m always excited to come back each year.

Today at camp, we started it off with a casual breakfast where the counselors announced some of the intercamp teams, like the flag football, basketball, and street hockey teams. Later on, we went on to clean our rooms, and do our daily inspection. My first period today was flag football, where I had lots of fun playing a scrimmage. After that, we went on to hockey major. At hockey, we worked on improving our skills, and played a little game afterwards.

Shortly after hockey, I went to third period, tennis, which was extremely fun today. We played king of the court and also rallied a bit with each other and Gabe. During lunch which came after third period, everyone got ready for intercamp which included me in flag football, and also they announced the winners of room inspection for the week. The winners later in the day went on to get ice cream on the pontoon boat. I was included in that, and had loads of fun with my friends.

After lunch, I went to my flag football intercamp at Camp Wildwood. Our team didn’t do too well, but nevertheless, we had a great time playing! After we lost a close game, we went on to watch the basketball team’s final game, where there was amazing competition, but we came out with a win. They took 3rd place in the tournament.

Our 10 and under street hockey team was playing in the finals of their tournament, so we all went over to the rink to watch that. They played absolutely amazing. Jason played goalie and made some great saves. We came out with an 11-5 win, and took the championship.

After that we came back to camp, and choose-up was almost over so we headed straight to line-up where we did the joke of the day, announced today’s room inspection where someone pulled out and 11/10 with and amazingly clean room. After, we went to dinner where we ate a thanksgiving based dinner with turkey, cranberry sauce, gravy, and mashed potatoes. For dessert we had this delicious chocolate cream pie. After dinner, most of us went to free time, while the room inspection winners went to get their ice cream (which was really good). The ice cream store was in town and we got to go with Jake and Jason on the pontoon boat to get there. Then I came back showered, and now I’m sitting here about to go to sleep! Thanks for reading! 

GOODNIGHT FROM BRIDGTON!!!

 

Lazy Bones Morning – Sunday Funday Style!

Welcome to our first Lazy Bones / Sunday Funday of the summer!

Lazy Bones Mornings work like this: Campers and staff get their day to sleep in. We have a buffet breakfast with Dunkin Donuts, cereal, fruit and yogurt from 9am – 10am. If campers wake up before 9, they can leave their dorms to play games including Gaga, Corn-Hole, Badminton, World Cup Soccer, and much more. Breakfast is not mandatory, and if campers want to sleep that extra hour, then they certainly can. We have a whistle at 10:20, and everyone makes their way to the lineup area to discuss the morning and the rest of the day.

From 10:30 until lunch, we have a variety of different activities that campers can go to. This Sunday, in addition to good old “free play”, campers were able to go compete in a Gaga Tournament, 3v3 basketball games, tennis games, or watch one of our favorite events of the summer: the camper/counselor lacrosse game! That game is always so fun because the campers and counselors play together on the two teams.  This year counselors Ben and Ben and their team took home the victory!

Following the morning’s activities, came lunch and then rest hour. We needed to rest up for our afternoon surprise…

Starting at 2:30, we had our carnival. We’ve done this every year, and it is always an amazing time. We bring in dunk tanks, water slides, bounce houses, basketball games, and a few other games to play. We took a ton of pictures, so head over to your CampMinder login and check them out!

In addition to the carnival, we had our first home inter-camp game of the summer, a 12 and under kickball game against Camp Micah on the baseball field. Campers who did not play had the option to go watch and cheer on our team. We lost, but it was a hard fought battle. We have a bunch more inter-camp games coming up over the next week, so stay tuned for more updates.

As the afternoon came to a close, and dinner ended, it was time for phone calls. We passed out phones right from dinner. We hope everyone enjoyed speaking to or facetiming with your children last night. If you need anything, you know where to find us.

Until Next Time…….

Definitely a hot day yesterday, but we were okay! We made sure that every camper was putting on sunscreen and drinking a ton of water. Although it was hot, this didn’t stop any of the campers from getting better at their respective majors. From 10:30 until lunch, campers were giving it their all despite the heat.

Saturday’s at Lacrosse are known as “suit-up Saturdays”. The coaches get involved in all the drills and scrimmages. At soccer, everyone got the chance to watch some of the World Cup before ending the period with a game. All in all, it was a great morning for majors with everyone working hard.

After lunch and rest hour, it was a regular afternoon as minor periods went on as scheduled. We had campers firing bullseyes on the archery range, others getting up on water-skis for the first time, and practices for teams that will be participating in inter-camp games in the coming days.

During choose up, the waterfront was a popular choice among campers to cool off after a hard day’s work.

At night, campers had a bit of time for free play before our first (scheduled) movie night. Justice League and Jumanji were put on in the humanities center for campers to relax and watch a film after a day of running around under the Maine sun.

The weather looks great in the coming days as we prepare for a trip to the Sea Dogs game on Tuesday, July 3.

Until next time,

Ethan

I know we like to talk about the amazing Maine weather here on the PawPrints Blog, but mother nature will occasionally jump in. We woke up to some cloudy weather and we knew the rain would eventually come. We did, however, get a little lucky…After a tasty french toast breakfast and a strong clean up of the dorm rooms, we went right into our majors. All 5 majors got a solid few hours in. We ran drills and scrimmages and took advantage of the cloudy day. Everyone worked extra hard and got a good sweat in. After that, the rain came in. We started lunch a bit early and extended the rest hour period which gave everyone some time to wind down before the rainy day afternoon schedule.

Sometimes, rainy days can be a ton of fun. We split up by divisions and rotated between a bunch of different activities. There was Bingo in the Humanities Center where campers had the opportunity to win a bunch of different prizes. Some of our younger campers were brave enough to jump on the microphone for some good old fashioned karaoke. Another popular stop on the rotation, was the indoor handball tournament on the hardwood basketball court. Split up into different teams, we had some round robin tournaments that left one winner for each division. A great way to get a good run in during the afternoon rain.

Because we have the ice rink at our disposal, why not take advantage? We ended the day with a free skate. Many of our hockey majors got to show off their skills, while also helping other campers (and counselors) skate for their very first times. (don’t worry, we have rental skates) – What a great way to end the afternoon!

The rain continued through dinner and into the evening activity, so we couldn’t do BSL tonight. So, we decided to go with movie night. Again, we broke out by division and watched some great movies. It was a long day, but a ton of fun. The forecast looks really great for the next few days with some hot weather coming our way over the weekend.

For more, don’t forget to log in and check out the daily pictures in your CampInTouch account.

Goodnight from Bridgton!

 

 

DAY 2: Majors, Waterfront, Campfire

I know we always go on and on about that Maine weather, but Tuesday couldn’t have been more spectacular. A nice cool morning just got nicer and nicer as the day went on. No better time for working on majors, waterfront activities and a campfire!

Majors

Up on the fields, the campers in their majors were hard at work. On the baseball diamond, Coach Mike had the boys doing a series of throwing drills followed by base running, and batting practice. Hockey majors were put through some vigorous drills in the morning and then scrimmaged in the afternoon. One of the drills I got to watch was 3 on 3 using their opposite hand. Over on the hardwood, Coach Whit came out strong (as always) with an array of different drills to improve the kids’ games and take them to the next level.

Waterfront

A classic picture perfect day here at camp always means…WATERFRONT! There’s nothing better than getting in a canoe on a beautiful day and exploring. The waterskiing and fishing boats were also out on the water the entire day. We caught a ton of fish (and then set them free), and a group of campers got up on waterskis for the first time in their lives.

Campfire

As per tradition at BSC, one of our first nights is always the opening campfire, and it was an amazing evening last night to have it. At around 8:30 as the sun started to set, and the whole camp congregated around the fire to talk about camp and what our values mean in our daily lives. Sportsmanship, Teamwork, Loyalty, Kindness, and Friendship are the values that we live by here at camp. It is important to us that our campers understand the importance of these. In tomorrow’s post, we will share those values with you in further detail.

8 years ago, when BSC was founded, we started a tradition of setting goals for ourselves. At the beginning of every session, the campers write their goals on a piece of wood. Those goals range anywhere from making new friends to improving in their game, to growing up as a person. 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 are added to next year’s campfire.

We are excited to see what goals our campers set for themselves this year, and how they will work both on and off the court/ice/field to achieve them.

Until next time!

 

 

Session 1 – Day 1

Welcome to Camp

BSC Families,

Hello and thanks for joining us this summer. Welcome to our daily blog. Here you will read about what your son is up to here at camp! If there is anything else you want to hear, just let us know.

Maine: Some of the best weather you will find in the US. We have beautiful days and cooler summer nights. Nothing more you can ask for when you’re running around all day.

Just like most mornings here at camp, the day started when the whistle blew at 7:45am. All throughout camp you heard, “Goooood Morning Bridgton!! Everybody up! It’s a great day to be at camp!” – The classic wakeup call from our fearless leader, Koop. Heading up the hill to the dining hall were tons of new faces. New 8 year olds and new 15 year olds walking together to see what was for breakfast. And what better than chocolate pancakes and bacon for opening day. Don’t worry though…for the healthier ones, there is always a yogurt and fruit available.

Let’s walk through the different types of activities our campers participate in…

Majors

Ice Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse, Soccer, Baseball. Those are the “majors” here at camp. Every camper majors in one sport and then minors in a variety of other sports and activities. Majors are comprised of skills and drills. Our boys love their majors and really want to improve over the next 3 weeks. The directors of each sport are all experienced coaches who want to see their players succeed.

The first day of majors are always awesome to watch. Campers and counselors come out hungry and are eager to get going. The energy is at an all time high. Everyone wants to give 110% and prove that they are there to get better and to work. At our 6pm lineup, each director stood up and gave a recap of the major and there was not one negative thing that was said. All upbeat positive attitudes. Good vibes over here for day 1!

Minors

Sports

Every coach wants their players to be well rounded athletes. Hockey coaches want their players to play sports like lax to improve on their hand-eye coordination. Basketball coaches like their players improving their speed & agility on the soccer field. In addition to their majors, everyone also minors in different sports & activities. When at the minors, it is always fun with a little bit of a competitive edge. On the first morning of every session, we give our campers a weekly schedule with every single period laid out for them. It’s important for them to have structure here at camp.

Activities

At our core, we are Bridgton Sports Camp. However, we pride ourselves in being a perfect mix of a sports camp with traditional camp values. In addition to our sports, we offer an array of activities that allow our campers to try new things and take breaks from the sports.

Our waterfront always has some of our most popular minors. Waterskiing, wakeboarding, canoeing, and fishing are always running. Maine is known for its beautiful lakes, and everyone loves getting in there. Many of our campers have never been waterskiing or wakeboarding before and it is awesome when they get up for the first time.

In addition to the waterfront we offer many other activities. Arts & Crafts is a great place to go and cool down and make some pretty neat stuff. Street Hockey & Tennis always get intense. We have a great weight training & fitness / speed & agility program that aligns perfectly with our campers major sports. There are solid workout regiments that campers can work on during these periods that will help them improve on the court field, and ice.

Night One

After dinner, we have evening activities. Most of the time, it is Bridgton Sports League; aka BSL. We also have free play occasionally. Additionally, we have special events and trips which you’ll read more about as the summer goes on.

Tonight, we kicked it off with BSL. The way it works is every division is divided up into different teams. Our divisions are always college conferences. This year, we are going with the Ivy League for the Rookies & SEC for the Pros/Seniors. Games consist of Gaga, Handball, Kickball, Cricket, and some others.

After BSL, our youngest campers, the rookies, head straight to showers and start hanging out and getting ready for bed. The older guys have a little more freedom. The middle division, the professionals are able to play in the gym and hang on the fields until 9:15. After that, they head to their dorms to shower and prepare for bed. Lights out for them are at 10:30.

This concludes our first day of camp. We hope you enjoyed the read!

We hope that you follow us on Facebook & Instagram for some sweet photos from around camp.

Until next time…Goodnight from Bridgton!!

Yours Truly,

A Bridgton Sports Camp Staff member

WE ARE READY!