Afternoon Bike Ride

We got back up to the Stowe Trail System this afternoon for our alternate training session.  Mountain Biking is great training for endurance, balance, vision, and anticipation, very similar to skiing.  This marks the third time since the start of the camp that we've made it up to the single trek for the older kids, and each time we get to explore more and more.

The younger kids have progressed enough in the 9 days that we even got half of them up in the woods.  For the campers new to camp this week, most are very quick learners on the bike and fit right in.  A little stop by the river for some, and a trip to IC Scoop's for most, completed our afternoon.

Some fun stuff going on tonight, including a new spot to jump at the river.

Julia Ford Day at SDSC

This morning we were joined by 2014 Sochi Olympic competitor Julia Ford.  Julia grew up skiing at Okemo, went to Holderness for her junior years, and made the USST at the age of 18 and has been competing at the World Cup level ever since. 

There are a lot of qualities in people that make them special and drive them to high achievements, and in Julia so many distinct and unique qualities are present.  First she is tough.  Physically she works her tail off in the gym for preparation and on the hill for training.  Mentally she convinces herself to do things that are challenging or scary, conquering any and all inhibition.  Her mindset of approaching challenges head on allows her to separate herself from her peers. 

Second, Julia played multiple sports at a high level all the way through high school.  When she was named to the USST at the end of her senior year at Holderness, she didnt know right away that she wanted to go to the National Team.  She played soccer and lacrosse at such a high caliber that she was considering going to college to play one of those sports at the Division I level.  The athletic ability our kids can gain from playing all sports sets them up to improve their skills, anticipation, and overall ability.  Julia is an amazing athlete who works hard to transition her ability to skiing. 

Third, Julia is so nice and fun to be around, and that positive energy helps her enjoy what she is doing with support of all people around her.  Being a happy person also allows an athlete to take the bad with the good and stay motivated and striving for their goals. 

This morning, Julia ran our camp through warmups and a game before instructing 5 stations.  We ended with a question and answer period while the kids hydrated and then Julia got to sign some water bottles, hats, and even cell phone cases. 

Julia Ford is special, and she just got 50 new fans who will be cheering her on all winter.  US Nationals are at Sugarloaf in March 2015.  Maybe those in the East can make it to one of her races to cheer her on to another medal.

Evening Activity - Bike Obstacle Course, Games, Swim

This week's evening activities started with a rotation between three 40 minute stations. Campers weaved their way through a mountain bike obstacle course complete with gates, jump, and teeter-totter, then raced around playing speedball and capture the flag, and biked down the Rec Path for a well-deserved jump in the river on such a hot summer evening.

We have already seen the group challenging itself as kids tried new elements on the course and pushed themselves to get to and from the swimming hole...the tone has been set and hopefully we will see the smiles continue through the rest of the week!

Week 2 Orientation

This afternoon marked the beginning of our second session, and the camp started off so smoothly.  Integration of the 12 new campers went so well it almost seems like they were here for the first week too.  We went over SDSC rules again, played orientation games, and then sat down for our first big meal of the week.

For those who stayed over in between sessions, we had plenty of time to get some extra rest.  Yesterday afternoon we swam and stayed low key for the entire afternoon and evening, topped off by pizza from Piecasso.  45 kids and counselors polished off 15 large pizzas with huge smiles.  Laundry was another task we tackled, FOR 38 CAMPERS!  The washer and dryer have been going non-stop, and everyone will have clean clothes by the time they wake up. 

With an 8:30 wake up call Sunday, lets see how the camp reacclimates to 7:00am Monday morning. 

End of Week 1 SDSC

Great closing ceremonies this morning.  We were able to recognize 17 of our campers with awards and felt the week concluded on a positive note... on top of the Counselor victory in the annual COUNSELOR versus CAMP match of capture the flag.

Thank you parents for your support, and thanks to the campers for all of their effort this week!!

Camp Video

The camp video for one or two weeks will be available for purchase.  Theo Burns, ex SDSC camper, is our videographer and has been working really hard to take photos and videos of all the activities this week.  He will have a signup sheet at the closing ceremonies tomorrow for parents to preorder for the final product.  Copies can also be purchased by emailing Theo at theoburns97@gmail.com.  The purchase price is $15, and all proceeds go directly to Theo as funding for his position and material expenses at SDSC. 

Here is a preview of the video.

Reminder for Saturday Closing Ceremonies...

Closing ceremonies for the first week of SDSC are tomorrow at 11:00.  We are excited to have parents join us, so please plan on attending! 

* One request from us here at SDSC is that parents please wait until the awards are over at 12:00 to get bags from rooms.  We have done a great job with organization and rules all week and hope to remain in control until camp officially ends at 12:00.

Thank you!!