Monday, June 20, 2011

Opening Day 2011


Welcome to the 45th year of Woodberry Forest Sports Camp. This is the largest camp we've ever had. We now have 161 campers that make up 14 teams.  WOW! And what a great group. I've never seen a happier group of kids on the first day of camp. The veteran campers have really helped the new guys to settle in. It's great to see all their shiny new faces. Our staff is once again a fantastic group as well. The next three weeks should be great.

BTW... we lost our ability to automatically play music on the blog. (if anyone knows the trick to getting it back, let me know) You'll have to scroll to the bottom of the blog and click the play button. If this is your first time using this blog... You can click on the slide show at the end of this post to view the photos full screen while listening to the music. You should also be able to go right to picasa to get the photos.

After opening announcements and introductions the campers remained with their teams and met with their conference directors. Although the campers are on a "team" - they are also part of a "conference". The teams are competing against each other, but ultimately the conferences are too.

Immediately after the meetings the teams began practicing the sport of their choice. After that the campers broke up into their age groups for some individual instruction. They were either, swimming in the indoor pool, working on their golf skills; driving, chipping or putting, laxing it up, playing soccer, football, basketball, softball or tennis. Soon it was time for their first shower and then they were off to dinner up the hill. Post dinner they were back on the fields with their teams preparing for the first competition which will be tonight.

After evening showers and snack the entire camp gathered in Slane lecture hall for the first "Value's Meeting". Coach Alexander began last night's meeting with one of his favorite quotes, "A reputation of a thousand years can be ruined in a single act". The coaches continued the meeting with their teams back on dorm. They'll hold these meetings nightly in their small groups where the campers will share their thoughts with each other. It's a great team building tool and also for individual character development. Like coach said yesterday, the teams that will be most successful in this camp will be the ones that are a TEAM - Together Everyone Accomplishes More - not necessarily the ones with the most talent.

It's raining this morning... I'm not sure we've ever had a complete wash out day.. Should be interesting. We'll try to remain optimistic that the afternoon will brighten up.

Have a blessed day.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

It's almost here!

The count down to Sports Camp 2011 will come to and end tomorrow.

We're looking forward to all of the campers arriving Sunday, June 19th. Happy Father's Day to all the dads and grandfathers.

Check in begins at 9am and runs through 1pm. Camp officially begins promptly at 1:30pm with counselor introductions and team organization.

We're looking forward to another great camp. Travel safe and we'll see you tomorrow!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Another Camp Comes to an End

The highly successful Tarheels of UNC show the love. This was the score that sealed the deal for the Tarheel win over the Cavaliers. UNC was the most successful team in camp winning many championships. They were a fun team to watch. It was a group of very talented young men.


Championship Friday Games
Lacrosse: UNC-8, Duke-4
Football: UNC-27, UVA-14
Floor Hockey: Stanford-6, Penn State-3
Soccer: UNC-4, Michigan-2 in OT

Friday night we finished  championship week with our final campfire. The campfire was held in the Barbee Center as a storm brewed up outside. We watched our four final skits. WOW, were they funny. By the end of camp, there is so much material to work with. This weeks skits were really enjoyable. The campfire ended with Camper of the Week awards, Tiger Awards and Honor Camper Awards.

Coach Alexander spoke about the two special awards briefly at the assembly on Saturday. Below is an overview of  the two awards presented Friday evening.

Honor Camper
It is presented to the member of each team, who has made the most significant contribution to the team in the areas of athletics, sportsmanship, citizenship, and leadership. The Honor Camper is the most dependable and reliable member of the team, not only on the playing field, but in all areas of camp life. It is the highest honor bestowed by the teams coaching staff to a member of their team.

Tiger Award
It is presented to the team member who displays considerable athletic talent and a strong desire to win. The winner of the team's Tiger Award is usually the boy who hustles in every sport, leads the team in spirit and sportsmanship, and encourages all members of the team to do their best in all activities.

Saturday morning we woke up knowing we would impelement PLAN B... Plan B meant games would have to be played indoors due to inclement weather. By the time the games were over the sky had cleared. It turned out to be a fabulous day. Campers and parents proceeded to the Walker Center for the closing ceremonies.

Coach Alexander said a few brief words and then introduced the team coaches. The coaches remarked about their teams and then each member was introduced on stage.Once each team was presented the final awards were given out. Below is an overview of the annual sports camp awards.

The Tom Baumann Memorial Spirit Award is given annually to the camper who during his years here has contributed positively to the atmosphere of the camp with his pleasant nature, willingness to participate, and unselfish spirit. The winner of this award is admired by all members of the camp for his zest for life and warm, congenial personality. The award is given in the memory of Tom Baumann, a 1972 Woodberry Forest School graduate and former counselor who possessed these same qualities.

The Sportsmanship Award is given annually to the camper who possesses the qualities which the staff of Woodberry Forest Sports Camp tries so hard to instill in each of our campers. The winner of this award is fair, generous, a respectful loser, and a gracious winner. He encourages his teammates, cheers for his team, and never argues with officials. He maintains a positive attitude at all times and in all situations.

The Team Sportsmanship Award - Woodberry Forest Sports Camp has always taken pride in the fact that good sportsmanship is emphasized just as much as athletic skills during the boys' time here. The Team Sportsmanship Award will be given to the team with the most outstanding record of sportsmanship during the entire camp.
The Moubray Conference Award is given to the conference that finished sports camp with the best overall record in team sports – basketball, football, hockey, lacrosse, soccer and softball. The recipient conference will have demonstrated superiority in a variety of team sports as well as balanced athleticism.

The Best Athlete Awards are given to the best all-around athletes in the camp's four age divisions. The recipients of this award are talented in all sports, put forth consistent effort in every game, and continually show supreme effort, determination, and a drive to succeed. A camper's ability to handle adversity and lead his team in a variety of situations is also considered in determining the Best Athlete Award winners.

The Staff Award is given to the camper who, in the eyes of the counselors, has distinguished himself with his helpfulness and positive attitude. The recipient of this award is dependable and willing to give of himself for the benefit of others.

The Richard Glover Leadership Award –It is named in honor of Richard Glover for his many years of leadership and guidance given to the boys of Woodberry Forest Sports Camp and School. He was a Woodberry graduate and a US Marine. He taught history and coached wrestling at Woodberry for many years. He lives and works by the creed: “Fear None, Respect All”.

The Red and Cathy Caughron Award is named for the founders of the camp. Red and Cathy started the camp in 1967 and directed it for the first 25 years. Their tireless dedication and infectious charm made the camp the overwhelming success it is today. We all owe Red and Cathy an immense amount of gratitude for all they have done for the camp. This award is given to the camper who through his dedication to the camp and his team over the years has distinguished him from his fellow campers.

The Outstanding Camper Award is the most prestigious award a camper can earn and it is given to the boy who displays the highest qualities of athleticism, leadership, sportsmanship, responsibility, and fair play. The Outstanding Camper possesses a sense of integrity, character, and maturity that distinguish him from other campers. The recipient of this award has a positive impact on the camp in many areas and his presence makes everyday camp life more pleasant for counselors and campers alike. He serves as a role model for younger campers.

It's hard to believe another sports camp has passed yet again. Where did the time go? We raced out of here Saturday afternoon in order to attend a family wedding. When we returned Sunday evening, campus was like a "ghost town". There is always a period of withdrawl. Spending time with family helped during the immediate day or two, but right now, we still feel like we should be doing something else. We really enjoyed our time with the counselors, administrators and of course the young campers. There was a great chemistry this year among the entire group. Thank you for sharing your most precious gifts - your boys. We look forward to seeing them in the future either at camp next summer or perhaps a football game or two this fall. If your young man has "aged out" of camp, we hope that he pays WFS a visit.

Enjoy the below slide show. These are some of our favorite pics of the camp. Have a blessed summer everyone!