Coming to camp often feels like entering another world.
There’s a magical quality to it. Time moves differently— we love saying that, at camp, “the days are long, but the weeks are short.” So much seems to happen in such a short period of time.
Last summer, we had moments where we worried some of that magic might be lost. The new normal that our world found itself meant that we had to make some significant adjustments. For a moment, it seemed like the world beyond the spur would worm its way inside, and some of that magic might trickle out. 
Our counselors have been working hard— and having a blast— getting ready for your kiddos to arrive!
Like the challenges our campers face— conquering a fear of heights on the climbing wall, or not knowing that you can be happy without existing for hours in front of a screen— the summer of 2020 was a reminder that, sometimes, the things that worry you are often (maybe always!) your biggest opportunities for growth. We learned that things like social distancing or masking in certain situations didn’t stop our campers from growing as young Champions last summer.
The world we find ourselves in today, only hours from our first arrivals of Summer 2021, still bears some resemblance to last summer’s. But it feels like we’re turning a corner.
Example: last summer, at the beginning of our counselor orientation, we had to reckon with the fact that we were welcoming a full staff of young heroes who happened to be in the age range most likely to contract COVID. Flash forward one year. Two weeks ago, we welcomed the same kind of group— only this time, 100% of our counselors are vaccinated. Many of our campers will be arriving to camp as well.
A good analogy for the feeling we have in the lead up to this summer might be training with a weighted vest. That was last summer. The additional burden, the added uncertainty, that the 2020 season had made all of us— our full-time team, our counselors, our campers, and many of our wonderful parents— stronger and more resilient.
Now, it feels like some (not all, of course) of that added resistance has been lifted. If you’ve ever done any weighted exercise, you know how liberating it feels running with the vest off. You feel like you can fly.
Soon, we’ll be welcoming the first wave of campers for our largest summer in Camp Champions history. If you’d told us we’d be in this spot a year ago, with the shadow of COVID still lingering across the world— even our magical little one here in the hill country— we might have expressed some apprehension. But the opportunities presented with this upcoming summer are profound. After a full year of remote learning, children need camp more than ever. And our fullest summer ever gives us a chance to fill that need with an even wider reach.
As we enter the summer, buoyed by the confidence that last summer’s successes gave us, our amazing group of counselors and staff hums with a heartfelt sense of purpose. We know what’s at stake. And we know that, as long as the days might feel, our time with your precious ones is short.
Rest assured: we’re committed to making every second count.
As always, we’re eternally grateful for parents like you. Trusting others with your campers is hard in the best of times. Know that we take your confidence seriously. We’re ready… and we simply cannot wait for you all to get here.
See y’all soon!
