Children and teenagers are constantly surrounded by stimuli. They are easily overwhelmed with the sights and sounds that surround them, and often don’t have the skills to be fully present and limit distractions. This is why more and more teachers and professionals are incorporating mindfulness into their curriculum. And why Camp Starlight has been doing it since the beginning.
Mindfulness is “the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.” Campers all have the ability to be mindful, but there are proven techniques to help them perfect their skill. At camp, we incorporate these techniques into every day living to help campers improve their focus and concentration. It helps them be present in the moment and hyper-aware of their body, their space, and their surroundings.
Camp is a busy, noisy, active place. The energy on the campus is undeniable and can be felt from the moment you arrive. However, camp counselors and staff highly encourage campers to take periods of time throughout the day to relax, stay quiet, and unwind. Some campers choose to journal, write letters home, meditate, or even sleep during this time. This critical “down” time allows campers to stay in tune with their thoughts and feelings, and reflect on the activities of the day.
Meditation is a big part of the mindfulness initiative, but there are other ways campers can learn to be mindful. Campers may find themselves waiting to take their turn for different things throughout the day. Waiting is an excellent opportunity to tune in to their inner thoughts and feelings. A quick breathing exercise or an intentional appreciation for the space around them is a great way to practice mindfulness. For many people, listening intently and carefully is a challenge. Sometimes we are thinking more about our response than actually listening to what someone has to tell us. By focusing on being better listeners, campers can improve their communication skills and be mindful at the same time.
One of the things campers learn quickly is the power of connecting with nature. It’s always incredible what a quiet walk by the lake can do to clear your mind of negativity, anger, frustration, or fear. Camp Starlight gives campers the unique opportunity to connect with nature. Observing the natural beauty that surrounds them can help campers feel calm and connected when things seem to be getting out of control. Learning the calming power of a nature hike at camp is a coping strategy campers take with them for the rest of their lives.
Camp may be a busy place with lots to see and do, but it also provides plenty of opportunities for campers and staff to get in tune with their thoughts and feelings. Teaching mindfulness is just another way Camp Starlight fosters future leaders, builds character and promotes a healthy lifestyle.
After a great battle between blue and white, the annual Olympics at Camp Starlight came to a final close, declaring Happy Blue Day the successor on girl’s side and Grand Stand White the winner of boy’s side. Every single camper, regardless what team they were on, put in one hundred and ten percent effort into these Olympic games, embracing every unusual task or challenge that would earn their team points. Campers wouldn’t even do a double take when asked to toss cheese puffs onto a camper’s head full of shaving cream, duke it out in the most intense game of Gaga or eat dinner in complete silence to help their team win. Olympics is a five day event that everyone takes seriously, counselors and staff included because it is also their hard work and dedication that helps their team win. Counselors and staff can sacrifice all their time to help design costumes and a set for Sing! or compete in staff volleyball games during rest hour just so that their team can get a few extra points. No matter how few or many points a camper or counselor earned for their team, they all added up in the end and without them the results wouldn’t have been the same. Olympics is a time that brings all of the campers, counselors and staff together, a special event that bonds everyone together as they all fight for the same goal. When the winners are announced at the end of the fifth day, cheering and shouts of joy erupted in the air but it didn’t compare to the rewarding feeling when everyone from the blue and white teams rushed the lake, celebrating all the things that every camper had been able to achieve during this Olympics. While winning is a reward in itself, the real reward of Olympics are the memories everyone was able to create during these five days of fun, athleticism, teamwork and friendship. 
For the second day of Olympics, the girls of Happy Blue Day proved even stronger than on the first day, amping up all the energy and spirit for the games. The Juniors served up some tough competition for the Grand Stand Whites on the tennis courts and battled in the sand during a tough game of Newcombe on the volleyball courts. The sand of beach volleyball and the nets of the tennis courts were also well defended by the Lower Inters, bringing just as much intensity as the Juniors. Running bases with ease, the Upper Inters glided through pitches on the softball diamond and took their coordination skills to the test for the soccer shootouts. The Lower Debs also put their soccer skills to the test for an exciting game of soccer against the white team. Upper Debs dribbled effortlessly around the Grand Stand Whites in basketball and slammed some pitches for a game of softball. Defending Happy Blue Day with ferocity, the Seniors raced around the field in soccer and competed in the boating meet with power and spirit. All the girls proved their dedication to their team and made their coaches and counselors proud when sporting the color blue with pride. 
The Grand Stand Whites packed a powerful punch for the second day of Olympics, raising the bar in spirit and sportsmanship for the day’s activities. Inspired by the previous day’s events, the Juniors put all their passion into exciting games of tennis and beach volleyball against Happy Blue Day. Battling in the sand, the Lower Inters dominated in a game of Newcombe and then later put all their energy onto the tennis courts just like the Juniors. Running the bases, the Upper Inters took pride in a great game of softball and kicked with power for the soccer shootout. Bringing the heat to the black top and the pitch, the Lower Debs played exciting games of basketball and soccer while the Upper Debs pushed hard for the win in basketball and softball. The Seniors showed off many summers worth of practice for an intense game of soccer against Happy Blue Day, fighting to prove that white is better than blue. With Lower Camp competing in a swim meet and Upper Camp in a boating meet, the Grand Stand Whites faced off in the water for a fun afternoon of healthy competition. The girls worked really hard the second day and had fun cheering on their friends through wins and losses, happy to be experiencing Olympics at the end of a perfect summer. 
The Grand Stand White boys spent the large majority of the morning in the water with Lower Camp having a blast in the boating meet and the Upper Camp battling it out in their swim meet. Happy Blue Day came out of the dock looking to make up for yesterday’s swim meet, but Grand Stand White came back in the second half of the race to win it. After the Grand Stand White dried off from their wet morning, the divisions split up for more individualized competition. The Upper Inters and Juniors made incredible comebacks in Gaga in order to sweep Happy Blue Day and the Lower Inters faced off for a fun game of baseball. The Seniors showed off their skills in intense games of lacrosse and ultimate frisbee, packing a punch for the blue team. Taking example from the Seniors, the Lower Plebes also showed off their athleticism in games of flag football while the Upper Plebes took to the bases for a powerful game of baseball. The boys all cheered due to high morale of a successful second day of Olympics. The boy’s positive attitude and eagerness to compete led to victories in each division, furthering the euphoric atmosphere within the Grand Stand White team. 
The first morning of the 2017 Olympics started with the Lower Camp boating meet, the Juniors and Inters swam with confidence and pride for their team. The Grand Stand White came out on top in other divisions as well. As the morning continued, the Lower Debs served up some strength in tennis, ran through the bases for a great game of softball and made a great impact in the sand for beach volleyball. Following suit, the Upper Debs also defended the nets in tennis and played their white hearts out in a game of soccer. Taking note from Upper Camp, the Inters of Lower Camp played hard in games of Gaga, tennis and knockout. Not to forget to mention that the Juniors rocked it out at soccer in the afternoon. The Seniors really showed camp what it means to be a part of the Grand Stand Whites with nailbiting games of softball, volleyball, soccer shots and flag football, these girls brought an intense amount of energy and inspired all of Grand Stand White to work hard and push it to the limits for Olympics. The girls started Olympics with a bang and there is more to come from this team of white spirit. 
“It’s a Junior’s Life For Me” was a popular phrase said by every Junior on the ever anticipated Junior Day this summer. A pirate themed day, all the Juniors had the entirety of Camp Starlight to themselves to have fun as pirates and play to overtake Camp Starlight as their treasure. Junior Day is a day devoted to the fun of the Juniors where they can play all over camp and not worry about anything except discovering as much buried treasure as possible. Diving into the waterfront to unearth treasure, whipping up edible treasure in the Farmhouse and searching for clues from sea creatures in the swamp, Juniors embraced their inner pirate for a day full of fun under the sun. The Juniors sport bandanas and eye patches to fully embrace the pirate role, enjoying a day of activities that are just for themselves. Camp Starlight hosts these themed days for the Juniors to show their appreciation for the youngest division because of all the bright energy they bring to camp. The Juniors are the first to laugh and to raise their hand to participate in an evening activity, their energy is something that everyone at Camp Starlight loves to feed off of and embrace. The atmosphere of camp is so positive when the Juniors are around to giggle and have fun with the other campers and counselors. Junior Day is a great event that highlights the positivity and fun of the Juniors and inspires everyone at camp to see everyday as fun as they do. Because of their spirit and love for summer camp, the Juniors inspire others to say “It’s a Junior Life For Me.”
Going into the first events, boy’s camp was electrified. The energy in the air was palpable as were the thundering chants coming from each team. Taking great inspiration from the generals, the Grand Stand Whites were ready to tackle the first events of Olympics. The Seniors started out strong with a heated game of baseball, stealing bases and showing pride for their team. Showing just as much passion as the Seniors, the Juniors and Inters of Lower Camp participated in a swim meet, speeding through the water to snag as many points possible for the Grand Stand Whites. Lower Camp showed more strength in the Junior’s fierce games of boxball and basketball and the Inters passionate games of lacrosse and ultimate frisbee. Also proving their power in the water, the Lower Plebes played a tough game of water polo to then later bring the heat to dry land for a great game of soccer. The Upper Plebes rocked out a game of soccer and practically sent the blue team packing in a game of knockout. All the boys pushed themselves for the Grand Stand Whites and began Olympics with enough passion to outburn the Olympic torch itself. 