Feeling confident about our overnight camp programs is the first step toward an amazing ISTC experience. With summer only a few months away, we want to provide our top recommendations for building this confidence and preventing homesickness.
It Starts with the Parents/Guardians
Simply feeling informed and on track for camp will help everyone feel more relaxed about what’s to come. We encourage everyone to read through our resources like the Preparing for Camp Guide, 1st Time Camper Guide, and Packing List. Additionally, checking out our videos is an awesome way to see everything come together; it’s also proof to your camper that other kids attend and have so much fun! Year after year, we find that campers feed off their parents’ energy; confident parents equals confident campers.
Set Honest & Positive Expectations
Both our All Sports & IXTC Programs focus on disconnecting from tech and building social experiences through sports. Campers and staff leave their cell phones behind, which means campers and parents do not have opportunities to chat during the week. It is important to be upfront about this change with your camper, as surprises when nerves are at play tends to escalates things. Painting tech free and other elements of our programs in a positive lens also drives the narrative that camp is awesome. For instance, “at camp, you won’t have your cell phone because you’ll be too busy swimming at the lake and competing in cabin-of-the-week events with your friends”. Instead of highlighting the lack of Instagram, this explanation focuses on the fun things campers get to do at camp.
Involve Campers in Getting Ready for Camp
We’ve found that campers who feel forced to attend can feel negatively about the experience, purely because they believe they did not have a choice in the matter. Allowing campers to take an active role in parts of the prep can help flip this script. Let them tell family, teachers, and coaches that they are attending. Involve campers in any shopping for items on the packing list. Explore the virtual tour together or even schedule a personal tour to see ISTC in person. Anything that lets your camper get involved solidifies the idea of camp!
Practice Nighttime
Nighttime is usually the most drastic change compared to home for campers. Not only do we recommend sleeping at a friend’s place to gain experience being away from home, we also suggest practicing going to sleep without TV or cellphones. For some campers, it may even be helpful to sleep using the set up they plan on bringing to camp. Learning to sleep in different environments with unique mattresses and sounds will alleviate the main worry about cabin life.
Our ultimate goal is to build life skills and friendships through our sports programs, so please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.
