Each summer, Camp Olympia has a new theme, and the theme for Camp Olympia’s 51st summer is "UNPLUGGED to make a REAL Connection.”
The term "unplugged” has many meanings in this day and age. At Olympia, we are "unplugged” in many ways from the pressures of the outside world, and we affectionately call this the "Camp Bubble”. It is the protective and freeing feeling that you get when you are here and the way that camp exists in a space and time that seems separate from the outside distractions of the world. Unplugged "plugs” right into that way of thinking. It is a chance to literally unplug from the devices that so often control our lives: the televisions, the gaming consoles, and the cell phones (the cell signal out here is so bad it nearly forces you to be "unplugged” anyway). There is also an opportunity to figuratively unplug from the everyday stresses and pressures of being a kid and college student.
But you might ask yourself if Olympia is so unplugged, from where will you draw "power” and how will you be "connected”? The power of being unplugged at camp comes from the relationships, growth and fun you have while here; time spent without those things we might call essentials in everyday life. The REAL Connections we make here are made possible by the absence of screens and the increase in face-to-face time (not Facetime). Connections are made in the walks to and from activities, eating in the chow hall, enjoying time with friends in the cabin, and singing your heart out to Journey at one of our many camp dances. While these connections are not necessarily uncommon outside of camp, there is something special about throwing inhibitions away and pausing the commotion of the rest of life when you drive through the front gates of Camp Olympia and enter the "Camp Bubble”. As a former counselor, it was liberating to get away from the Facebook and Twitter feeds during the summer. It was refreshing to have the soundtrack of your weeks be a Ross King theme song and the camp sounds of laughter and chow hall yells. Listening to the cheers of the Spartan/Athenian competition, the sounds of joy emanating from the lakefront, or whatever crazy song the wake-up show had on (not to mention all of the natural sounds of the birds, bullfrogs and crickets) seems to be the best noise there is. And I assure you, catching a Camp Olympia Talent Show is far more gratifying than any "America’s Got Talent” or "Dancing with the Stars” episode. The realness of the camp atmosphere is the best part. It allows us to plug into the things that really matter; the relationships, the friendships, and the memories that will last much longer than any cell phone battery will. Ask a counselor during their fall semester following a summer here at camp; better yet, ask their friends who weren’t there just how much camp has become a topic of conversation in everyday life. Ask a former counselor who now has the steady 9-5 job if they have ever looked out their window on a summer afternoon and thought to themselves, "4th period activity is about to start” and "Isn’t Rodeo tonight?” Camp Olympia memories and friendships are special and the connections made in a summer can last a lifetime.
As we all know the summer camp terms don’t last forever and the summer does in fact end, yet somehow the draw of getting "unplugged” becomes even more powerful each year. We hope that this summer we have more campers and counselors than ever before come to Camp Olympia to get "UNPLUGGED to make a REAL CONNECTION!”
Sleepaway camp is an iconic part of summertime in America. In fact, sleepaway camps are popping up for kids, and even adults, in every nook and cranny of the country. The travel experts at Canada’s leading online global travel agency, Flight Network, have noticed a trend in the growth of summer camps across the U.S., and it set them on a mission to find the best of the best.
Flight Network’s goal was to create a list of the camps that continue to stand above the rest, so parents and kids can make the most of their summer adventures. We were excited to find Camp Olympia on their list titled, This Summer’s 22 Most Amazing Sleepaway Camps in the U.S.
"You know what they say — everything is bigger in Texas. And in the case of Camp Olympia, an overnight hideaway located on the brisk shores of Lake Livingston, the same idea applies,” Flight Network stated.
The article went on to praise Camp Olympia for offering more than 45 activities that campers can choose to engage in during their stay, from horseback riding to water skiing and so much more. The writer mentioned our vast campgrounds of private land, which includes a swimming pool, archery field, challenge course and athletic courts for every interest. We couldn’t agree with the travel experts at Flight Network more. Camp Olympia truly does do everything the Texas way -- a whole lot bigger.
PRESS RELEASE
Only Traditional Summer Camp in Texas to be Honored
TRINITY, TX - Camp Olympia has been selected as one of the Top 50 Most Amazing Summer Camps for Kids by the Early Childhood Education Zone, the go-to site for early childhood education information.
"We are honored to receive this recognition, alongside so many other impactful and amazing summer camps in the United States.” Said Tommy Ferguson, Director of Camp Olympia. He went on to say, "While we place a great focus on providing a fun, safe and engaging atmosphere, we are very proud to receive a status recognizing character and value development.”
With over 40 activity choices offered ranging from wakeboarding to golf to horseback riding, Camp Olympia is the #1 and only traditional Texas summer camp to make this prestigious list. "Our activities are fun and build self-confidence. Campers often try activities that are new to them and discover they have a new talent,” stated Mr. Ferguson.
This is the second "Top 50” award received in the past year, also ranking as the #1 and only Texas Summer Camp on the 50 Most Amazing Summer Camps in the U.S. list, published on Top Education Degrees.
Learn more about the Camp Olympia Experience, activities and programs, or 2015 summer term dates.
About Camp Olympia
Established in 1968, Camp Olympia is an overnight Texas summer camp for boys and girls ages 6-16 located on Lake Livingston in Trinity, Texas: conveniently located just 100 miles north of Houston and close for families living in Sugar Land, Kingwood, Beaumont, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas or those flying into Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport. Camp Olympia campers choose from over 40 camp activities, ranging from waterskiing to golf to horseback riding, so they participate in activities that interest them. Accredited by the American Camping Association, Camp Olympia focus on building character and values by teaching responsibility and cooperation. The veteran full-time camp leaders, with over 40 years of experience, and a dynamic group of college counselors serve as positive role models for campers. Camp Olympia is dedicated to having fun together, helping people grow in body, mind and spirit.
For more information, please contact:
Debbie Stubblefield
936.594.2541
To see the full press release from Early Childhood Education Zone, please click here.
Independent Researcher of Education Degree Programs Publishes the 50 Most Amazing Summer Camps in the U.S.
TRINITY, Texas – Camp Olympia, a premier Texas summer camp for boys, girls and teens ages 6 to 16 located on Lake Livingston in Trinity, Texas, was recently published on the Top Education Degrees blog as the number 1 and only Texas Summer Camp and 17th of the 50 Most Amazing Summer Camps in the U.S. Read more here.
"It is such an honor for Camp Olympia to be listed among the most amazing summer camps in the United States. The article did a great job highlighting what makes Camp Olympia special: our fabulous founders Corby Robertson, Jr. and Chris Gilbert, both noted as All-American football stars; our open lakeside location on beautiful Lake Livingston; our water sports, horseback riding, arts program, and Junior Golf Academy”, said Tommy Ferguson, co-director of Camp Olympia.
Camp Olympia offers four camp sessions a year. For 2014, the following camp terms are offered:
Camp Olympia has added many new and exciting features, such as a 2-person zip line and mini golf course, for the 2014 summer to celebrate is theme of "Destination FUN!” Also for the first time, the camp’s Term 2: June 22 to July 12, 2014 will be celebrating the Fourth of July with an all new Color the Fourth festivities including games, parade and fireworks.
Due to a high return rate of campers, Camp Olympia’s summer sessions book quickly. Interested campers and parents can schedule a camp tour by visiting the Camp Olympia website at www.campolympia.com/touror to talk to a Camp Olympia staff member call toll-free at +1 (800) 735-6190. Online registration is also available by visiting the website at www.campolympia.com.
About Camp Olympia
Established in 1968, Camp Olympia is an overnight Texas summer camp for boys and girls located on Lake Livingston in Trinity, Texas; conveniently located just 100 miles north of Houston and close for families living in Sugar Land, Kingwood, Beaumont, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas or those flying into Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport. Camp Olympia campers choose from over 40 camp activities, ranging from waterskiing to golf to horseback riding, so they participate in activities that interest them. Accredited by the American Camping Association, Camp Olympia focuses on building character and values by teaching responsibility and cooperation. The veteran full-time camp leaders, with over 30 years of experience, and a dynamic group of college counselors serve as positive role models for campers. Camp Olympia is dedicated to having fun together, helping people grow in body, mind and spirit.
Press Inquiries Contact:
Tommy Ferguson
936.594.2541
Only 18 days until Term 1 Starts on June 8.
That's right, school is almost out and summer is almost here.
You can also pre-order care packages for your camper to be delivered during their term.
Camps provide comprehensive checklists for all the gear our children need to pack, but it’s also helpful to compile a checklist for preparing them emotionally if they are experiencing some cold feet, dread, or worry.
An Emotion-Prep Checklist for Sleepaway Camp:
1. Name it to Tame it. It’s really unhelpful for parents to dismiss or minimize or ignore a child’s feelings and say, “You’ll be fine. You’ll love it! Don’t worry.” (Has someone telling you “Don’t worry” made you say “Oh, OK. I hadn’t thought of that. I’m not worried anymore.” Not helpful, right?) Instead, if you sense your child is feeling a bit unsure or fearful and she’s not bringing it up, you can begin the conversation by saying something like, “Some kids feel nervous about camp as it gets closer. How are you feeling about it?” And whether or not your child is initiating the discussion herself, it’s important to really listen and validate those feelings instead of trying to talk her out of them or dismiss them. There’s actually a lot of science that shows that naming our feelings calms the reactivity in the brain, so when we “name it” we can “tame it.”
2. Investigate and Problem-Solve. Find out what your child’s specific worries are, and then collaboratively problem-solve with her. Most kids worry about being homesick, but it might surprise you what they are actually concerned about. Kids worry that they won’t like the food, that they won’t be good at the activities, that they will wet the bed, and even that their shoes will get wet. Whatever the worries, it can be helpful to brainstorm together and talk about the “what ifs,” and what she can do in the circumstances she’s thinking about.
3. Normalize the Feelings. Just knowing that many other kids feel unsure or scared, too, and that it’s normal to feel worried about doing something that’s different, can help. Tell your own story about a time you stepped outside your comfort zone and how you felt apprehension at first, how you handled your feelings, and how the experience ended up being great. (Make sure to pick a resilient story—no stories about how it ended up being even worse than you could’ve imagined.)
4.
Give Your Child a Strategy or two to help her calm her worries. One thing you can begin now that will give
her a tool she can use while she’s at camp is something I use with anxious kids
in my private practice. I give them an
assignment that each night, once they are
peaceful and relaxed and ready to fall asleep, they should place their hand
on their chest (pledge-of-allegiance style).
After doing this every night for a few weeks, the brain makes a
connection between the sensation of the hand on the chest and a feeling of calm
relaxation. Then, when the child is
feeling worried or upset, she can easily place her hand on his chest wherever
she is, and her body will begin to relax and her mind will begin to feel
calm.
Another strategy is to teach her that while her feelings might feel really wild
and stirred up, if she pauses to take a few deep breaths, the worries will
settle, allowing her to see clearly again.
The best thing I’ve found to teach this is the “glitter ball” analogy
that Susan Kaiser-Greenland created. You
can teach this to your kids by having them watch this super-short video with
you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dMiv5B7I0Y. Then
send a glitter ball, or a small snow globe, to camp with your child, explaining
that she can shake it up and watch the glitter settle when she’s feeling
upset. Or, you can just have her imagine
the glitter falling and you don’t have to send the actual ball.
If you do these two things in the weeks before your child leaves for camp, you
can build some skills and empower her with some tools she can pull out when she
needs them. This allows her to avoid
becoming a victim to her feelings, and to be able to use her mind to change how
she feels. In fact, you might try some
of these tools too, if you are feeling worried about sending your child off!
This moment is a great opportunity to teach
kids that while we should pay attention to our feelings, our feelings shouldn’t
rule our worlds. If you name,
investigate, normalize, and strategize, you will be preparing your children to
go to camp with the best chance of overcoming their fears and learning
something really important about themselves—that they are braver and stronger
than they think. You’ll be helping them
flex their emotional muscles to be strong and resilient in the face of
challenges. You’ll be doing much more
than just prepping them for camp, you’ll be prepping them for life.
Dr. Tina Payne Bryson is the co-author of the international best-selling, THE WHOLE-BRAIN CHILD (Random House Delacorte, 2011) and the upcoming book NO DRAMA DISCIPLINE. She is a renowned speaker, has appeared in numerous media programs and columns and is a consultant to schools, camps and child development professionals. You can learn more about Dr. Bryson at www.TinaBryson.com, where you can subscribe to her blog and read her articles about kids, camping, and parenting.
I spend most of my professional time talking to people about the
brain and how to help kids become less reactive and more resilient. I’m also a
mom of three boys, who is often thinking about their optimal development. Using both my professional lens, and my
parental lens, I've become a huge proponent of the sleepaway camp experience. Camp promotes independence, confidence,
friendship-building, resilience, thriving, character, grit, etc. — these are
undoubtedly real outcomes for kids who have quality camp experiences.
But why do these outcomes occur? How do these changes happen in short periods of time, and then over years as well? How do we explain this? The answer is that camp gives kids experiences that change the brain.
That’s right: camp is good for kids’ brains. Here’s why.
Let me introduce you to the middle prefrontal cortex. It’s right behind the forehead and eye sockets and is the front most part of the frontal lobe. It gives us the ability to do all kinds of important things: regulate our body and emotions, have insight into ourselves and others, feel empathy, communicate in an attuned way, bounce back after failure, adapt to new situations, make thoughtful choices, and overcome fear. That’s pretty much what's needed to have a successful life filled with meaningful relationships and the conscientiousness to make things happen in the world. We can think about it as the part of the brain that gives rise to social and emotional intelligence and mental health.
And here’s the point: camp experiences develop this part of the brain.
Let me be clear: Yes, camp experiences influence kids’ minds. But those experiences also actually change the structure of their brains. When kids have camp experiences that require them to overcome fear, be flexible, handle their emotions (especially away from their parents), make decisions on their own, be persistent to master a task, build relationships, and so on, it builds the prefrontal cortex.
The main thing to know is that when the structure of the brain changes, the function of the brain changes. So camp plays a role in how these kids function in the greater world, and ultimately who they become as adults, even on a neuronal level.
Camps that are intentional about all facets of the camper experience and how they train their counselors already inherently provide the kinds of experiences that activate and build this “character” part of the brain. That’s why we can see significant changes in kids who have camp as part of their lives.
All of this is just one reason I’m a believer that camp can be a
magical, transformative place for a child.
Camps provide unique experiences for kids to be problem-solvers, step
outside of their comfort-zone, and have repeated experiences that wire the
brain in optimal ways. The way I like to
say it is that bunks are good for brains.
Experience changes the brain, so when kids have experiences that challenge them
emotionally, when they’re given opportunities to make friends that are outside
their typical circles, when they have to keep working at a skill to achieve
mastery, these
experiences change the connections in the brain regarding kids' capacity for
persistence, how they see themselves, and how healthy they can be, both
emotionally and relationally.
Dr. Tina Payne Bryson is the co-author of the international best-selling, THE WHOLE-BRAIN CHILD (Random House Delacorte, 2011) and the upcoming book NO DRAMA DISCIPLINE. She is a renowned speaker, has appeared in numerous media programs and columns and is a consultant to schools, camps and child development professionals. You can learn more about Dr. Bryson at www.TinaBryson.com, where you can subscribe to her blog and read her articles about kids, camping, and parenting.
The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship is a world class golf event. It features the world's best amateur men and amateur women golfers as they represent their respective country in team and individual competitions. The 80 participants, two male and two female golf amateurs, from 20 countries spanning six continents enjoy a premier sporting event experience from the Opening/Closing Ceremonies, international village to competing for gold medals.
Invitation Guidelines:
The
field of countries is limited to 20 teams (each team is comprised of
two men and two women golfers). Twenty country teams are invited based
on the men and women's combined results from the most recent World
Amateur Team Championships.
Team Selection:
Each
invited country assembles their best available amateur men and women
golfers (two each). All players must be official citizens of their
country. Each country's National Golf Association/Federation establishes
its own selection criteria. However, national champions, finalists or
top ranked players are the majority of participants. (76) National
Amateur Champions participated in The 2009 Spirit.
Format of Play:
72
holes of best ball competition, five separate competitions are
conducted: International Team (combined best ball of the Men's and
Women's teams), Men's Team, Women's Team, Men's Individual, and Women's
Individual. Gold, Silver and Bronze commemorative medals are awarded to
the top three places in each competition.
Name: Andrew Ginty
School: Texas A&M
Major: History with Business Minor
Hometown: Houston, TX
Years at camp: 13
Position at camp: Junior Boys Division Head
Favorite camp tradition: Spartan & Athenian Competition
Favorite Camp Activities:
Lacrosse
Favorite Camp Food: Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans
Favorite Hobbies: Frisbee, Lacrosse, Listening to Music and Catching Football
Favorite Movie:
Friday Night Lights
Favorite Costume Day: Major League Monday
Fun Fact:
I lived in Hong Kong for two years when I was younger.
Name: Emily Pluhowski
School: Bayloir University
Major: English, with a double minor in Spanish and Journalism
Hometown: Kingwood, TX
Years at camp: 13
Position at camp: Junior Girl Division Head
Favorite camp tradition:
Carnival… it’s really fun to see everyone
dressed up and I love being able to hang out with everyone at once.
Favorite Camp Activities:
Kayaking, Archery, Wakeboard are all my
favorites
Favorite Camp Food: Crispitos
Favorite Hobbies: Being involved in Pi Phi, Photography, Reading, Writing, Running, and Baking
Favorite Movies:
O Brother Where Art Thou?, Pride &
Prejudice, Love Actually
Favorite Costume Day: Twinsday Wednesday
Fun Fact: I have one blue eye and one green eye
Name:
Parker Tennet
School: ACU (Abilene Christian University)
Major: Nursing
Hometown: Houston, TX
Years at camp: 12
Position at camp: Senior 1 Lead Counselor (Athenian Chief)
Favorite camp tradition: Spartan Athenian Rope Burn
Favorite Camp Activity: Wakeboarding
Favorite Camp Food: Crispitos
Favorite Hobbies: Playing Soccer, Lacrosse, Video Games, Snow Boarding, Fishing & Hunting
Favorite Movle: The Hobbit
Favorite Costume Day: Twinsday Wednesday
Fun Fact: Parker can whistle three different way
Camp Olympia, in Trinity, Texas, is hosting its annual Family Camp Weekend, March 22-24, 2013. Family Camp Weekend is an exciting weekend where parents, not just campers ages 6-16, get to experience the FUN of this Texas summer camp with their children. The weekend is a great way to spend quality family time together experiencing the great outdoors!
Families will participate in many fun adventure activities during the day like the giant swing at the challenge course, horseback riding, rock wall climbing, archery and fishing, in addition to the fun programs planned for the evenings.
Mark your calendars for March 22nd – March 24th and REGISTER NOW for this fun-filled family weekend at Camp Olympia.
Established in 1968, Camp Olympia is a Texas summer camp tradition for boys and girls. Located on the shores of Lake Livingston in the piney woods of East Texas, Camp Olympia is a private, residential summer camp that offers its campers over 40 different activities, including its premiere Junior Golf Academy and extensive waterfront activities. Camp Olympia is accredited by the American Camping Association.