If you know anything about me it’s that I love camp. I love working at a summer camp all summer and being out in the sun with 150 kids. This week is bittersweet because it’s the last week of resident camp where I work and all the kids are going home. However, I’ve already been here for eight straight weeks and I could use a few days of down time since the most amount of full days I’ve gotten off since May 22 is one day. I get one full day off every other weekend and a half a day off on the other weekends. I’m not complaining though! I love every second I spend out here and I learn new things every summer about myself and life in general. These are by no means all the things I have learned because I could write a book on everything I've learned at camp, but these are just a few of the big things I've learned.
1. I’ve learned to adapt quickly
I teach the basketball activity at my camp and I have kids in that class ranging from 6 years old to 15 years old. So when some of the kids aren’t strong enough to throw the ball up to the rim and others can almost dunk, you need to be able to adapt the lesson plan and the games you play with them. Nothing ever goes according to plan here and we as a staff have to be able to adapt quickly and smoothly.
2. I’ve learned how to work with people
If you’ve ever worked at a summer camp then you know what I mean. I’ve spent 8 weeks with the exact same people. I see and talk to them every single day. There is no other job where you spend 15 hours a day with the same people 6 days a week. Tensions can get pretty high sometimes but honestly there’s no one else I would rather spend my whole summer with. There’s just something about camp that makes it so easy to become friends and stay friends. The friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime and I owe it all to camp.
3. I’ve learned how to work with kids
I can work with homesick kids, happy kids, sad kids, angry kids, sarcastic kids, defensive kids, any type of kid. I have come into contact with hundreds of kids this summer alone, and this is my third summer on staff. I love working with kids and this job gives me the opportunity to work with tons of kids that come from so many different backgrounds and walks of life.
4. I’ve developed leadership skills
Like I mentioned earlier, I teach the basketball activity here. I’m in charge of anywhere from 14 to 25 kids for my class; that many kids can be a handful by yourself. In addition to teaching basketball, I’m also on leadership staff at my camp this summer. I’m in charge of the CIT’s (Counselors-In-Training) so I train 16 and 17 year olds to be counselors. This is my first summer in this position and I honestly love it. I’m with these kids for four weeks at a time and I, along with my co-coordinator, train them to be on staff by teaching them camp procedures, how to deal with certain situations, etc. It’s not an easy job but I’ve learned so much by working in this position.
Camp has always been my home away from home and I can’t imagine a summer when I don’t spend it all at camp. I know I eventually have to get a real adult job, but I can promise you that I will spend every moment avoiding it if it means I get to be at summer camp counselor just a little longer.
