1. You get a full summer of fun!
Kids come to sleep-away camp excited to see other kids that they haven't seen all year. They get to enjoy so many activities that they don't do at home including: water skiing, ropes courses, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, cooking, go-karting, archery, and pioneering. But they also have time to play the sports that they love including: basketball, soccer, football, volleyball, skateboarding, gymnastics, and baseball. And the best part is that you, as a counselor, can be a part of it all. That is what I call "getting paid to have fun."
2. You get to meet new people.
Many sleep-away camp staff come from overseas. Working at sleep-away camp allows you to meet people from all sorts of different backgrounds, and you can say that you met five people from Australia or three people from China. You leave your home to get a whole new experience with people that are so different from you.
3. You get to try new things.
Never in a million years would I have imagined myself on a diggler going down a steep hill in the middle of Kent, Connecticut, nor would I have never expected to randomly get to go water skiing. But working at sleep-away camp allows you to do activities you never have before with kids you're living and eating with.
4. You get a sneak peek at parenting.
You're living with either six or 12 kids in a bunk, and you and your co-counselors are the only adults there. You have to make sure that the kids take a shower, brush their teeth, comb their hair, put on clean clothes, and do everything else a parent usually makes sure they do. You have to be their parent for the four weeks that they're living with you, which doesn't happen in most jobs.
5. You easily surprise yourself.
I've been playing basketball for six years and I never thought that I would be able to become a coach. Every day I have little girls come to basketball eager to learn something new. It surprised me how much I was able to teach them how to dribble, shoot, and pass the ball all while having so much fun with them. Coaching kids teaches you to be quick on your feet because you have to change the drill you're doing based on their participation and enthusiasm.
Working at sleep-away camp is an overall great experience. There is so much to do and so many activities to try that you never get bored. As a counselor, you quickly fall into the camp's routine, and you meet kids that you never want to let go. It's definitely something that every 18-year-old should do, just for the experience.
