As a sports camp with “training” in our name, athletic development may appear as the most valuable takeaway from our programs; however, we are most interested in teaching campers life skills through sports. Team sports like soccer and basketball bring campers together to instill sportsmanship and respect for others. Adventure sports like jet skiing, mountain biking, and rock climbing encourage campers to take on new challenges with an open mind. Helping campers discover these qualities is just as important as the memories they make, so this month’s blog will dive into how ISTC develops life skills while keeping things fun.
Cabin of the Week
Each camp day at ISTC contains 3 structured sports sessions run by our coaching staff. In between these sports, we host an all camp competition called Cabin-of-the-Week. This competition not only brings everyone together for tech free experiences, like relays, skits, and other camp created games, but it also reinforces several habits that are great for life outside of camp. Campers learn to work together to achieve a goal, since many events rely on whole cabin participation to succeed. Cabin-of-the-Week also rewards cheering for others, even if they are not in the same cabin. High fiving after events and clapping for others win or lose, are healthy steps towards becoming more emotionally intelligent.
Team of the Week
Similarly, the Team-of-the-Week competition drives sportsmanship and inclusion. Teams earn points by displaying sportsmanship, leadership, positivity, and camp spirit at the different program areas. As much as the ropes course enjoys seeing campers conquer the most difficult routes, they also love to see groups cheer for one another, coach each other through obstacles, and celebrate progress, even when others don’t fully finish a climb. By taking the focus away from the results and competitive end goal, campers learn to become supportive and understanding of different athletic abilities.
Friday Awards
We further award personal progress at our Friday award ceremony. Instead of crowning the fastest mountain biker or furthest golf driver, coaches assign awards for things like most spirited and sportsmanship. Counselors also highlight their “camper of the week”. All accolades focus on positivity, inclusion, and respect; repeated recognition of these attitudes at camp hopefully leads to more of the same at home.
