Still Finding Their Way!

What a gorgeous day! Today was cooler than yesterday and we didn't experience any storms. It was magnificent.

The teams are still taking shape. It's difficult at this point to tell who is going to come out on top. This means we did our job in the off season. It's not easy assembling teams when you have no idea of the talent and athletic ability of half the campers. Plus, you have to take into account how much boys grow and develop over the course of a year... It's such a 'roll of the dice".

Last night's values meeting topic was 'accountable'. We talk about this early in camp because it's such a critical part of a team. Each team member needs to be accountable for his own actions. We encourage the boys to not blame teammates but to take ownership. This is one of the first steps toward teams coming together. It's up to the teams and their coaches to implement what they talk about in their nightly meetings. We're proud of what we saw on the playing fields today.

Many games today were close. Some, in fact, went into overtime. On the football field every single game played today was not decided until the last series of the game. This is exactly the way we like it! 

Enjoy today's photos. We typically post a ton on the first few days. We'll tone it down now that we're falling into a regular schedule. Hopefully you'll see your child at least once per day. We can't guarantee that they'll be smiling but we'll do our best. Some of these guys are such serious competitors it's difficult to catch them in a 'softer' moment! We do the love their dedication and intensity though!

Sports Camp June 16 Photos

Let The Games Begin!

Our first full day of camp was a success. After a hearty breakfast we met on the steps to go over the days activities. The teams then went down the hill to their assigned practice area. Following team practice, the campers met up with kids in their age group. This was the first individual instruction session of camp. The athletes were assigned to one of the following: tennis, golf, football, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, basketball, conditioning, baseball, swimming, wrestling, or speed training. After an hour each age group moved to their next assigned sport. By the end of camp the boys will have had instruction in every sport we offer.

After showers and lunch the group enjoyed rest period. Some teams were fortunate enough to relax at the outdoor pool. The boys go to the pool by conference. Each conference is assigned to the outdoor pool several times during the course of camp.

The first afternoon session consists of sign up clinics. During breakfast the boys are encouraged to sign up for a clinic of their choice. We ask them to think about the sport in which they would like to improve. Sometimes a coach can encourage several team members to attend the same clinic as this might help come game time. It's also a chance for friends to get together!

We were not sure we would get the games going last evening. Just before dinner a storm blew in and seemed to just hang around. Fortunately things finally moved out and we were able to head back down the hill. We fell behind schedule by about fifteen minutes but the sun came out so we had just enough light to finish our outdoor games.

The teams worked hard preparing for the evening match ups. Excitement built as the day went on. Coaches and their players were eager to put their hard work to the test.

As coach Alexander explained to the group on Sunday, "50% of you will lose tomorrow but it doesn't matter...it's early!" There were some great games. Wow! These kids are intense yet at the same time they were smiling and cheering each other on. The conference directors are quite pleased with what they saw on the courts and playing fields today. Below are the scores. 

Soccer            Penn State 2     Kentucky 1
Basketball     Michigan 28      Notre Dame 36
Football         Stanford 6         UNC 7
Hockey          Georgia 6          Auburn 5 (Overtime)
Lacrosse        Alabama 7         LSU 8
Handball       Texas 10            Oregon 11
Softball          Brown 4            Harvard 0
Dodgeball     West Point 1      Navy 3

After today we'll place the scores in a column on the blog as opposed to putting it in the blog post. FYI!

We had a fantastic first full day of camp. What a wonderful group of campers and coaches!

Sports Camp June 15 2015 Photos