According to the American Camp Association there has been an increase in the use of international staff to expose campers to different cultures; nearly 20% of staff are from other countries.  This is also the case for Camp Starlight and first time staff member Charlotte C.  Charlotte is a student at Worcester University in England studying English and journalism. Starlight, Pennsylvania is a drastic change from Birmingham, Charlotte’s hometown and one of the largest cities in England. However, Charlotte, who has been in the United States for a month, is not having a difficult time adjusting due to Camp Starlight’s spirit. “The spirit at camp is amazing and has made my first time in America something special,” Charlotte said. “This is my first experience with anything camp related as they are not big in England. Camp is nothing like I expected. The children that I’ve encountered truly adore each other and I imagine will be friends for life.”

• Before coming to camp I never thought I would…listen to Taylor Swift so much in one day.

• New food I’ve tried at camp…peanut butter and jelly sandwich during orientation week and Wendy’s fast food

• Favorite camp meal: pizza

• Favorite thing to do at camp evening activities

• Why did you choose to work at Camp Starlight?  The amazing facilities and camp spirit

Is Lebron James better than Michael Jordan? Who will win the World Cup and why? What team has the best shot at winning the 2014 World Series?

These are all questions that would stump a veteran sports broadcaster, but not the announcers of WSTR, Camp Starlight’s Sports Broadcasting program.  In some sessions, campers make up their own sports questions and are given points based on their knowledge of sports and how well they answer questions. Other times, campers are free to give their take on what’s happening in the sports world.

The sports broadcasting program is led by Oliver L. from St. Albans England. Oliver is a student at Nottingham Trent University and is looking to work in the sports industry after graduation.

Check out a clip below.

Sport In 60-1

Last night, Challenge Week wrapped up following a night of zany bunk challenges. Here are a few pics of the fun…

4th Grade Boys vs Lavi

The boys hosted Camp Lavi in their first round game and were not very charitable winning the game 7-0.  Starlight passed the ball around as well as any team have on Alumni Field, and while this may have been considered a lucky one-off, today they managed a repeat in beating Westmont 5-0.  The score could have been far higher and the boys should be confident ahead of their championship game.

Charlie G. and Charlie H. have been very steady at the back playing some great forward passes, while Dylan C. and Drew L. have been strong and direct going forwards from midfield.  Up top Adam B. and Ryan G. have consistently found the back of the net and the championship game should be an exciting affair.

6th Grade Boys vs. Tioga

The 6th graders hosted Tioga and found the back of the net 15 times.  Ethan B. held the back line to account, and made some fine passes into the midfield areas, while Jake E. controlled the center of midfield.  Up top Jake B. ran Tioga’s defense ragged and was a constant threat.  A fine passing performance from the whole team saw Starlight moving the ball around and switching play with ease.  The game was a joy to watch and their next outing cannot come too soon for everyone here.

7th Grade Boys vs. Chen-a-Wanda

The boys were on the road for their first round game.  Going down to an early goal was all that was needed to start an assault on the Chen-a-Wanda goal and it was not long before Starlight equalized.  A second just before half-time saw Starlight end the half one goal to the good.  The second half saw both teams attacking, but it was Starlight who drove home their advantage.  The final score was 6-1 and there were some fine individual performances from the likes of Elijah E., Jaden G., Jonny C., Jason F., Michael S. and Ryan W.  The next game should be no less challenging and whilst the scoreline may have flattered Starlight a little, they took their chances well and showed why they are yet to be beaten in their Starlight soccer careers.

8th Grade Boys vs. Wayne

A tough road trip to Wayne saw the boys run out 1-0 winners.  Never an easy place to visit, Wayne were as strong as ever but Starlight were confident enough to get an early second half goal and then hold on to the lead with some stout defending. Rowan K. and Zachary C. made some fine challenges, while the midfield of Owen B., Spencer W. and Ari K. continually tracked back in order to break up Wayne’s attacks.  Dylan H. made a number of runs in the forward position, and was a constant outlet for the team.  A good result against a strong team and the second round now awaits for the 8th graders.

10/11th Grade Boys vs. B’Nai Brith

The boys made their way across the road to B’Nai Brith and ran out winners 10-0.  A routine game which will now be followed by Wayne, a somewhat harder proposition.  Harrison S. marshaled the back-line well, while Josh L., Jared B. Jake S. and Matthew J. continually made forward runs towards a very packed B’Nai Brith 18 yard area.  Once the first goal went in, Starlight followed this up with four more before half-time.  Five more in the second half, with two very nice long range efforts, the first from Matthew J. followed by one from Josh L.  The next round will be a real test for the boys, and Starlight will need to step up their performance in order to progress further in the tournament this summer.

4th Grade Girls vs Lavi

The game lasted all of 5 minutes before being abandoned due to weather.  Lavi subsequently forfeited the game and the girls now travel to Chen-a-Wanda in the next round.

5th Grade Girls vs Westmont, July 17

The girls visited Westmont and in a close fought game ran out winners 2-0.  Scoreless at half-time, Jordan P. made the difference in the second half scoring two fine goals.  Danielle A. and Samantha S. played well at the back, while Brooke G. and Heather G. worked hard in the midfield.  A good team performance and the girls can now look forward to their second round game after visiting day.

8th Grade Girls vs Chen-a-Wanda

The last time these two teams met Chen-a-Wanda ran out winners 5-1.  This game started at a fast pace and the girls did remarkably well and hit the Chen-a-Wanda team on the break on numerous occasions.  Starlight took an early lead and managed to hold on for almost 60 minutes.  With ten minutes left, Chen-a-Wanda managed to tie the game and just as it looked likely to head to overtime, a goal in the last two minutes saw Chen-a-Wanda take the lead.  Starlight responded, hitting the post, but there simply wasn’t enough time.  A very good team performance saw Starlight lose 2-1 to a team that had been very comfortable winners the last time they met.  Well done girls.

10/11th Grade Girls vs Chen-a-Wanda

The girls made the now familiar trip to Chen-a-Wanda, and ran out comfortable winners 4-0.  Marni C. and Molly B. continually broke up their opponents attacks, while in midfield Brooke L. controlled the left side of midfield with Rebecca B. doing likewise on the right hand side.  Lauren R. and Erica L. attacked their back-line and the girls now travel to Camp Weequahic in the next round.

Junior boys explored their creative side in the carriage house, transforming plain bowls into decorative comic book bowls. The boys began by tearing out their favorite comic strips from a newspaper. Next, boys laid the clips on the bowl to picture how they wanted their design to look making sure to cover the blank spots of the bowl. Then, a thin layer of mod podge was used to stick the comic strips to the bowl. To complete, another layer of mod podge was applied and allowed to dry. What a great project to finish just in time for visiting day!