Tag: three-week summer camp

Competition at Camp Weequahic

February 17th, 2011


You may have heard the Weequahic directors and year round staff were college athletes. It’s true. Well, Cole played golf at Virginia, so he was almost an athlete! Between the four of us, we’ve coached baseball, soccer, and golf at the NCAA Division 1 level for more than 20 years.

So, Weequahic must be a pretty competitive place, right?

Wrong.

Our focus is activity and skill development, rather than outcome. Competition is a wonderful tool for developing teamwork, community, and communication. It also helps determine areas for improvement. In essence, when done correctly, a little competition can really help a camper.

Weequahic is a part of the Wayne County Camp Association. Among its other duties, the WCCA organizes tournaments throughout the summer for our 31 associated camps in almost all of our activities. From swim and track meets to flag football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and lax games, we have just about anything a camper could want. We will even take campers to local USTA tennis tournaments so they can compete with kids from all over our region. While we have fun with a little competition, we are BIGGER believers in fun, skill development, and play.

If a camper wants to play on one of our teams, he or she simply needs to raise a hand and say ‘I want to be on the team.’ Once campers commit, they are good to go, regardless of their skill level. And, as long as they are supportive of their teammates and putting forth their best effort, they’ll play!

With one exception, we do not have tryouts at Weequahic. We require tryouts for tennis only because league rules restrict tennis rosters to eight players. If more than eight campers want to play, we hold a ladder tournament to determine the roster.

That said, sports competition is not for everyone. That is why we have incredible aquatics, adventure, and arts programs including things like Magic, Skate Park, Robotics, Radio, Music and more.

Not all of our camp competition, however, is relegated to WCCA events. What summer would be complete without a Color War type of competition?

Campers in our first session enjoy Tribals, a four team multi-day spirit competition. Vying for the “Deed of the Land”, campers play, sing, cheer, and laugh as they compete in spirit competitions in which everyone adds value to their Tribe. Campers in the second session enjoy Olympics, a five day competition between Army and Navy teams that dates back to our founding in 1953.

So, whether you are an athlete who wants to improve or an artist that is thrilled to explore the creative side of camp, Weequahic has something fun to offer. See you at camp!

Cole

Start Here: Find out More About Camp Now

February 7th, 2011

If your child is dreaming about camp, it’s not too soon to make a choice for summer 2011! Many campers are counting the days until they can return, anticipating seeing friends and staff, and looking forward to another super summer. Others are wondering about camp for the first time. For everyone, there are a number of resources and ways to find out more about each camp.

Here are a few suggestions for choosing which camp is the best fit for your camper:

1. Talk to friends and family who have already been to camp. One camper recently chose Camp Weequahic to follow in the footsteps of a cousin and a friend. Since the seasoned campers had a wonderful time and could not stop talking about their adventure, the new camper decided to go and experience things for herself. Other first time campers go to camp with a special friend or cousin who is also a first-timer. Some campers follow in the footsteps of an older relative and start a new generation of alumni—so, make sure to ask for suggestions from family and friends who may have been campers!

2. Watch camp videos, attend an information night (or both), and it will be easy to visualize the fun ahead. It often helps to picture the experience and imagine a specific setting. Campers can watch a video more than once and report that the video often gets them “hooked”. They start to see themselves at camp. A home visit is also a great way to make personal contact with actual campers and staff.

3. Explore each camp website to find out what’s distinct about that camp, check faqs and read firsthand accounts. You’ll find links to social media conversations and get a feel for each unique location. The websites are also a good place to check out changes and additions from previous years—there’s a lot going on.

4. For questions about homesickness, safety, how to tell if your child is ready for camp or more, read previous blogs that are packed with information and answers. If you’re wondering, someone else is probably wondering too!

5. If you’re planning for Summer 2012, make arrangements to visit camp this year. You can tour Camp Weequahic during the summer. Throughout the summer, Camp Weequahic your child can also sample the Weequahic experience through the Camper for a Day and Camper for a Week programs. Camp Starlight offers tours, as well.

6. Always remember that there are no dumb questions. Make a list and don’t feel that you can’t ask. Now is the perfect time to communicate with camp staff before camp is in full swing and fun is in full gear!

A Camp Weequahic parent recently shared with us that after seeing camp pictures, she immediately felt jealous and wished she could go too. That summer, her daughter’s first letter from camp arrived asking if she could stay 6 weeks instead of the 3 she had signed up for! Those first instincts from looking at photos online and a little research had helped find a perfect fit. Moral of the story: You don’t have to go far to find out more about camp. Don’t be surprised if the process turns out to be a lot of fun—everything about camp has a way of being that!

Do you have a story to share about selecting a camp with a friend or relative? Who would you choose to take to camp?

Camp Weequahic — The Three-Week Camp with the Full Season Experience

August 24th, 2010

“The greatest asset of Camp Weequahic is that we have put together a full traditional camp experience and power packed it into three-weeks,” says Cole Kelly, Camp Weequahic’s co-director. The camp runs two three-week sessions (June 26-July 17 and July 21-August 11 in 2010) and you’ll be amazed at what they manage to to squeeze into a mere 21 days. Campers get to experience two-day specialty camps with guest instructors; participate in county tournaments in eight different sports; go on off-campus trips; and take part in special events (backwards day!) and evening activities. Families also have the option of sending their kids to both sessions for a total of six weeks of camp. To make the super-six option completely stress free, there are activities at camp for those staying over the break. “It’s an amazing summer, whichever option families choose,” says Kelly.

Location, Location, Location

Camp Weequahic is nestled on 100 acres in picturesque Lakewood, Pennsylvania, which is located just 2-1/2 hours from New York City. “Our central location allows us to be the gateway to children who want to come from around the country and around the world for a great camp experience,” says Kelly. Children fly into JFK from all points foreign and domestic and are met at the jetway by camp staff and escorted to air-conditioned motorcoaches for the ride to Lakewood.

History and Tradition

While campers have access to the best of the best in today’s camping world (more on that later), the camp staff and campers never lose sight of the long, storied tradition of the camp, which goes back more than five decades. The camp was established in 1953 and it’s recreation hall walls are covered with plaques from the past 50 years of camp olympics. The camp motto, “Where Caring is a Tradition,” is still the guiding principle of all things Weequahic. Nothing takes a back seat to creating a supportive and caring community for campers, Kelly says.

Choice

Ideally, summer camp is a place where there is always something new and different and something special for everyone. At Camp Weequahic, choice rules. “We have 50 different activities for campers to experience, and everyone is encouraged to try new things and improve their skills at old favorites,” says Kelly. Whether your child wants to move up to the next level in tennis, master the newest sweet water skiing trick, or cook a gourmet meal, Camp Weequahic provides top-notch professional instruction in all their core areas. There are six activity periods throughout the day and every camper gets to pick their activities for at least two of those periods. (As the campers get older, their number of choice periods increase.) Weequahic also features cutting edge facilities, including a brand new roller hockey rink, gymnastics center and outdoor adventure course with climbing walls and a zip line. (Makes you want to enroll yourself, doesn’t it?)

Unfortunately, we moms (and dads) can’t enroll ourselves for all the fun Camp Weequahic has to offer. But if you’re interested in finding out more, you can take a virtual tour on the camp’s website by clicking here, and you can get in touch with camp staff, including Cole Kelly and his wife Kate, who serves as co-director, by sending an e-mail to [email protected].

All photos courtesy Camp Weequahic

Susan