Archive for May, 2015

Lacrosse at Camp

Tuesday, May 26th, 2015

Calling all athletes. If sports where you walk off the field sweaty, sore and completely exhausted are your thing, lacrosse should be at the top of your “Sports To Try” list. Lacrosse is a very physical, fast paced game that involves a lot of running, hand eye coordination and agility. It is a team sport, in which players equipped with long sticks with mesh nets at the end compete to throw, catch and pass a little rubber ball to their teammates, with the ultimate goal being to launch it into the opposing teams goal.

Screen Shot 2015-05-26 at 9.10.06 AMCamp Starlight offers campers the opportunity to suit up and give lacrosse a try. This sport, just like all of the sports at camp, are organized, taught and supervised by trained coaches and professionals of the sport. Safety is always the number one concern, and campers are required to wear all necessary safety equipment including a helmet, mouthpiece and gloves. Players are educated on the rules and techniques associated with the game, and are watched carefully to ensure everyone has fun and injuries are avoided.

Lacrosse games are played on one of many athletic fields across camp, and provide beautiful scenery for players and spectators alike. One of the cool things about playing lacrosse at camp is that you will be able to compete with other teams from other camps. This is exciting for those athletes who are naturally competitive and get excited about some friendly competition. Lacrosse is not just for campers who consider themselves all around athletes. It is a great sport for beginners too, and there is no safer place to try something new than America’s Finest Summer Camps. Lacrosse involves a lot of running and cardio work, which is great for weight loss and keeping your heart and lungs healthy. It also builds muscle and stamina.

Sports at Camp Starlight are designed for every camper, whether a trained athlete or a rookie. Camp Starlight keeps sports fun, and encourages friendly competition while keeping the old saying in mind, “it’s all about having fun.”

For campers going back to a middle or high school with a lacrosse team, they can use this summer to perfect their skills, learn the game, and fall in love with the sport before school tryouts.

Lacrosse is an action packed game and is a great way to meet new friends, stay healthy and add to your quickly growing list of “new things I want to try at camp.”

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Academic and Social Pressures

Monday, May 18th, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-04-27 at 1.47.54 PMA quick Google search for “what stresses kids out?” will produce thousands of results discussing all of the things kids and teenagers have to stress out about. As our country leans more towards standardize testing each year, students are bogged down with learning how to take a test, and riddled with anxiety about a single test that could mean the difference between advancing to the next grade, or not. Kids and teens say they spend a lot of time worrying about their grades, their next big test, their homework, and what they need to do pass. Older students worry about graduation, getting into the right colleges and finding a career they love. And on top of all of the academic pressure they face, add ranging hormones, peer pressure, relationships, heart breaks and attempting to live up to the standards set by the media, it’s no wonder kids are burnt out and need a break.

Young people cannot, and should not, have to face a life of stress, worry and pressure as adults too. Their young minds and spirits are not built for that, and it is crucial that they have an outlet and a reprieve from all of the stress they face each day. If they don’t get a break, they will make a way to escape the stress, and all too often their escape plans involve drugs, drink and risky behavior. Instead of leaving it up to them to manage their stress, we as a parents and a community need to call a “time out” and make sure they are getting time to be kids. This is the perfect opportunity to put all of their worries and responsibilities on hold and allow them to relax. Sending them to summer camp gives them a chance to just have fun, make friends and engage in activities that they enjoy.

The great thing about summer camp is that campers continue to grow emotionally and mentally; they are continually learning how to be a better person, friend, child, sibling, and student. They have responsibilities and commitments here just as they do at camp. They are faced with various social situations (making new friends, respecting authority, handling conflict) and taught how to deal with each one appropriately. Campers will be able to take these skills home with them, and use them to manage and alleviate much of the stress they face on a regular basis.

Screen Shot 2015-03-27 at 2.37.03 PMGetting some time away is a great way for young people to relax and recharge, and gives them the energy and positive attitude they need to get back into their every day life and confidently handle whatever comes their way.

If you feel that your child has a lot on their plate, give them the gift of an action packed summer, and watch them come back to their academic, social and relational responsibilities with a brand new attitude.

 

 

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Being a Part of the Camp Starlight Team

Monday, May 11th, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-05-07 at 11.09.30 AMBeing a part of the team at Camp Starlight is an honor and a privilege, an opportunity to single handedly change the direction of a child’s life by giving them the gift of self confidence, love, patience, forgiveness and positive attention. Camp counselors provide an unforgettable experience for countless campers every single day which something you can’t say about most summer internships or part time jobs.

Camp counselors spend their summers surrounded by nature, interacting with other counselors, staff and campers, and get to experience life through the eyes of a child, an experience that can sometimes feel far away as we grow older. Camp counselors not only teach, they also learn. They learn practical, social and problem solving skills. They learn patience, trust, teamwork, time management, conflict resolution and how to have an impeccable work ethic. Any future employer who wouldn’t hire someone with that skill set would be missing a great opportunity.

Screen Shot 2015-05-07 at 11.09.36 AMYou could sit at the neighborhood pool all summer as a lifeguard, or serve coffee at your local coffee shop, or walk dogs, file papers (yawn!) or serve tables over the summer. But at the end of the day, as you fell asleep, completely exhausted from an active and exciting day, would you feel like what you did make a difference in someone’s life? Would you feel like you made lasting friendships, or invested time in someone who was feeling lonely, afraid or misunderstood? Probably not. The magic that happens when you truly see personal growth and change in someone does not happen in a coffee shop or at a medical office filing cabinet. It happens in the moments when you help someone conquer his or her fears, handle heartbreak, experience a triumph or get through a failure. It is in these moments that you, as a camp counselor, change the world, one camper at a time.

So when you’re thinking about what you should do over the summer, consider Camp Starlight. You’re only applying for one of the most exciting, exhausting, rewarding jobs on the planet!

You were made for this. The world needs changin’, and it starts with you.

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A Behind the Scenes Look at Camp Starlight

Monday, May 4th, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-04-27 at 1.58.08 PMFuture Campers: What if we told you we could get you some behind the scenes information about coming to camp, BEFORE you even came to camp? What if we could relieve some of the nervousness and questions you have about heading to your camp right now?

Lucky for you, we’ve tracked down one of Camp Starlight’s favorite camp counselors, who has agreed to give us the inside scoop to prepare you for your first trip to camp! Meet James, a counselor who has been a camp counselor for two years, but has been enjoying summer camp every summer since he was eight years old. As a counselor, he is very used to seeing new campers come in with a worry that they won’t have fun, that they won’t make friends, or that they will be stuck with a counselor who is boring. It’s scientifically proven that is impossible not to have fun at camp. Everyone creates lasting friendships while they are here. And Camp Starlight doesn’t hire boring counselors, so there goes those three worries right out the window. James says that he and his fellow counselors focus on keeping the campers busy, so they don’t have time to worry! Many campers miss home, but counselors like James try to shift their attention to something more fun and exciting. “Each child is different, and that means how I address each camper’s issue is usually different.” It’s comforting to know that counselors will focus on you as an individual, and help you get through any worries or concerns in a way that works best for you.

James offered some packing advice for parents. Counselors understand that each and every camper is a parent’s entire world, which is why they put extra effort into making sure every single camper feels welcomed and safe, and enjoys their summer. Parents are given a packing list before they send their kids off to camp, and James urges parents to follow the list carefully. After countless weeks of watching campers pack and unpack their belongings, he noticed that campers who followed the list felt secure and well equipped for the summer, while those who packed a lot of extra felt overwhelmed and crowded in their bunk space.

When we asked James was his favorite part about camp was, he didn’t say rock climbing or theatre or sailing or the food (although the food does rank high on his list.) His favorite part about camp is the campers! He loves his job because all of the different personalities make each day fun and different, and he never has the same day twice. The cool thing about James, and the other counselors at camp, is that they are 100% focused on the kids. They are there for the sole purpose of making sure kids have a safe and unforgettable summer. “I want campers to know if they are having an issue with someone or something, they can always talk to me. My summer is not about me, it’s about them!” says James.

Parents can rest assured knowing that well trained, friendly, outgoing, caring and professional individuals are in charge of making sure their kids have a summer they’ll never forget. Kids can head to camp with confidence that they are about to experience the summer of a lifetime. Counselors, like James, are there to make sure of it!

 

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