How did it get to become September? We’re already a week in. The last of our campers have flown home and gone back to school. I asked our team what their proudest moments of #CRSFcamp were, and here’s what they shared:
Best part of camp - seeing @Scott_CRSF @Travis_CRSF @Kaitlin_CRSF @Darius_CRSF @Brooke_CRSF @Chris_CRSF @Janice_CRSF exceed expectations
— Flynn Burch (@Flynn_CRSF) August 28, 2015
Last week, I left our fields at Aberdeen on Thursday afternoon planning to drive home, as we had plenty of staff up at camp that night. I got about two exits south on 95 when I pulled off to get some gas. And I thought about how this was the final night of our last camp for the summer. So after filling up, I got back on 95 in the opposite direction and headed back to camp.
And I’m so glad I did because I got to watch a girl who, the day before, was terrified to climb the rock wall with her teammates. On Wednesday, with tears streaming down her face, she would inch up the wall. She’d lose her footing, and another girl climbing the wall with her would stretch out a hand, and she would take it. Teammates down below would cheer her on and direct her to another hold. She slipped numerous times, and they ended up climbing back down without making it to the top. Her teammates and coaches comforted her afterwards.
Thursday afternoon, the same girl made another attempt at the rock wall—again harnessed with two teammates. She had not magically gotten over her fear of heights overnight. She was still terrified. She would inch up, her teammates would shout out where the next hold was. She would lose her footing. A teammate would stretch out a hand and she would take it. Over and over again, she would slip, regain her footing, and slip again. Down below, campers and chaperones cheered her on and pointed out the closest holds. She got significantly closer to the top this time, but the end, muscle tiredness took over and all three decided to come down. One camper below led a chant, chanting this girl’s name as she came down.
Did this camper overcome the rock wall? Maybe not, but she certainly showed that fear wasn’t going to conquer her—even if she’d failed the day before, even if she didn’t make it to the top the next day either. She chose courage. I hope she remembers that about herself. Next time I’m scared to try something, I’m going to think of her.
My proudest moments from camp are seeing the bonds formed in such short times—between campers and peers, between coaches and campers, between our staff and everyone who comes to camp. In the span of a few short but intense days, these strangers became teammates and friends who lined up to give each other hugs and take photos with each other before going our separate ways.
Thank you to all our coaches, chaperones, and campers who made this another amazing summer!
