Confident leaders aren’t born; they’re made. And great leaders are often made from spending time at camp. Campers and counselors alike leave camp with a better understanding of how to help others and act as positive role models for those around them.
From the first day they arrive, campers are placed in a group setting that, for most of them, is very different from what they’re used to. They eat with their peers, spend the day doing activities with their peers, and share their mornings and nights side by side with them as well. This is the perfect situation for campers to build leadership skills. Campers have countless opportunities on a daily basis to make good decisions to positively affect their camp experience and learn lessons for their lives ahead.
Campers’ involvement in sports helps foster strong leadership traits, such as being a team player, being fair, and winning and losing with grace. Team sports like soccer, lacrosse and baseball encourage campers to step up and be leaders of their team and to be a positive example for their teammates. Campers who participate in individual activities like waterskiing, climbing, archery, gymnastics and dance are leaders when they choose to make responsible choices regarding their involvement and commitment to the activity that they chose. Arriving on time, respecting their competition and their counselors, and doing their best every day are all great ways campers can act as leaders at camp.
A good leader is someone who can assist others well. Campers have plenty of opportunities each and every day to be helpful and kind to their peers. They are encouraged to support each other, communicate with each other, and be an honest and loyal friend. Even if they aren’t aware of it, the building of these characteristics is also building a leader in every camper.
Campers aren’t the only ones who leave camp as stronger and more confident leaders. Counselors who spend their summer at camp also learn valuable leadership skills in a much more obvious and intentional way. They are trained thoroughly on what it means to be a leader and positive role model for children. They are very aware that there are always young and impressionable eyes watching everything they say and do. Counselors learn very quickly that being a counselor doesn’t just mean making sure all of the kids follow the rules. They become teachers, big brothers/sisters, role models and friends. Camp counselors also get an opportunity to improve their time management, problem solving and multitasking skills. The training and education required to be a camp counselor prepares them for managing groups of children in a confident, patient and trusted way.
Whether they come to camp as a camper or a counselor, everyone leaves camp as a more confident leader. This confidence transfers over to their attitudes toward their siblings, friends, coworkers and teammates in the real world. The world is a better place with leaders like the ones developed at camp.