Woodberry Forest Sports Camp: Jul 5, 2013

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was a picture perfect July 4th.

When I arrived at the Dick Gym steps for the morning meeting the camp had just begun to sing our national anthem. Yes, the entire camp was singing the Star Spangled Banner! It was priceless. One of those impromptu moments that just blow you away.

The day before, Coach Alexander had given the camp a little talk about the meaning of July 3rd as it relates to our country's history. Perhaps it was this chat and the fact that yesterday was July 4th, Independence Day, that inspired the group to come together in this sentimental moment.

This July 3rd was particularly important because this year is the 150th anniversary of the last day of Gettysburg which was the turning point of the civil war. Coach talked about the courage and leadership on both sides of the battle. It was the first major step in putting our nation back together.

After the inspirational song and a few words about how the day would proceed, we headed down the hill for the first of 12 individual competitions and the Tug of War.

Each team placed a member into a category. The events include, soccer, lacrosse, 400m dash, 100m dash, tennis, golf, 50m swim, home run derby, quarterback challenge, strongest man, basketball shootout and wrestling. 3 of the team members would actually compete in 2 events as 4 needed to be placed into the wrestling tournament.

The soccer shootout is particularly challenging. Two golf carts are placed in front of the goal along with a "goalie". You received a point if the ball went over the carts or into the net on the side. Each competitor received 8 chances to make the shot. The second round consisted of shooting at a goalie. Each player took 5 shots.. there was a winner but second place was determined by a one shot chance. It was an exciting challenge.

The lacrosse contestants were allowed 10 balls and had 30 seconds to shoot from 25ft. The sequence is repeated and the player with the most balls in wins.

We held three running races today, a 400m dash, 400m relay and a 100m dash. If coaches were smart, they would place two teammates with the longest legs in these two competitions. At this age it's not about speed, it's about endurance and stride.

Indoors we watched the 50m swim and the basketball shootout. The ballers were given 10 shots and needed to complete their shots within 30 seconds. Some of these shots were in the 3pt range. WOW! Do we have some shooters.

Just after these competitions were completed, the group headed up the hill for lunch. After lunch we had a normal rest period. They were going to need this one. The post lunch competitions required a lot of energy.

First up was the wrestling tournament. The entire camp gathered in the Barbee Center to watch 4 campers from each team compete in wrestling. The match ups were determined by weight class. The first weight class was the Smurfs. Their weight was 65-70lbs. Every spectator was into this tournament. There were loud cheers and chants as the grapplers competed on the mat. Other weight classes included, The Ninjas, The Samurai, The Rangers, The Seals, The Raptors and the T Rex's.

Outside on the ball diamond, we all watched as the "big hitters" smacked it out of the park. Coach Holmes pitched from behind a protective netting. We used real baseballs in this event. Our games are softball games, so this was a real treat to give it a crack!

While we were watching the Home Run Derby, many of our campers were just beyond the ball field watching the three hole golf tournament.

Next up was the quarterback challenge. We all watched this final event before heading down to the pool. Each quarterback had several chances to hit their mark. Their first throw was called a hitch route from 5 yards out, second was a curl route from 12 yards and then they had to hit a moving target from about 20 yards. The moving target was coach Alexander and laundry specialist Cole Martini.

After the Quarterback Challenge it was time for the Grand Finale - Tug O' War!

All day the teams were gaining points from the various events that their teammates competed in, but the Tug O' War would be the determining factor of which team would win the July 4th Tournament.

This event was based on elimination. If your team lost, they were eliminated immediately. Some teams, however, pulled 4 or 5 times. The winner of the Tug O' War and also the entire tournament turned out to be Michigan. Today they'll get a special treat. Coach Alexander will take the entire team and their coaches out for lunch. They get to brush up on their conversational Spanish at El Vaquero in Orange.

We bused the campers and coaches to the outdoor pool after the Tug of War. Waiting for us was a cook out and a refreshing swimming pool! The campers dined on burgers and hot dogs, watermelon and lemonade. They enjoyed splashing in the pool and volleyball matches on our sand courts. The outdoor party lasted a couple of hours and then everyone was bused back down the hill for a few playoff games. We had four semi-final games that needed to be played.

It was a late night. The handball game scheduled for 8pm went into over time. I imagine everyone slept well after such an exhausting and fun day.

Today we will watch 7 championship games. For the first time in about a decade, we have one team participating in 5 championships. Ohio State had a decent regular season record, but they upset a few teams during the tournament to get where they are now.They will play for championships in Lacrosse, Football, Basketball, Soccer and Handball. Phew... They will be exhausted when it's all said and done.

Although we are looking forward to seeing all of you tomorrow, we are sorry to see the end of camp. We have truly enjoyed spending time with these boys for the last 3 weeks. It's been an amazing camp this year and we're always sorry to see it come to an end.

Safe travels and we'll see you bright and early tomorrow!