The tradition at ELITEAM on Saturday mornings includes a sleep-in, but on one condition… the campers must go to bed quietly and on time Friday night. If they’re good, then we get to skip morning run & stretch, and the kids (and coaches) get to sleep in. Despite last week's incident where the entire camp had to run at 6:15am, the campers this week went straight to bed on Friday evening and enjoyed some extra sleep time in the morning.
After breakfast it is a cleaning frenzy in the dorms as the campers clean their rooms (wipe down desks & shelves, remove trash, vacuum), then clean the common areas including the bathrooms. Younger campers fear the cleaning of the toilets, but veteran campers know this to be one of the easier jobs that are handed out. From cleaning showers to vacuuming hallways to hauling trash to the dumpster, it all gets done by the campers, and this week we did it in record time, finishing at 9:10am!
The excitement grows as the campers meet in the gym for a final practice of the dance and then ready for the Olympics. The parents start arriving at around 9:45 and the entire campus is buzzing with energy. At 9:55 we announce the teams and it is go-time. For the 18th year in a row, the skies were clear and the Olympics could be held outside!
We added the hill climb to the Obstacle and that provided good action and mud-flying as the athletes tore up the steep embankment. The Eagle's Nest proved tough as some campers seemed to lose appendages while in it. And, as always, the marine wall was a slippery and tricky challenge. We ended in the woods with a demonstration of the World Cup Tightrope by Maggie. She handled the pressure and challenge perfectly and showed the parents what we focus when we’re up in the trees.
In the Slalom course it was 'thrash or crash" as each team high-stepped through the tight course. Everyone made it clean, despite some mis-steps here and there. For the spectators, we needed slow-motion replay as the action was so fast it blurred. Then it was on to the agility course and Berg Und Tal. We finished with the ELITEAM dance, which rocked the house.
Thanks to all of the 136 campers that completed ELITEAM 09. Thanks to my staff of energetic, enthusiastic and caring “teachers” who work tirelessly to make the camp special for every camper. Please enjoy the many pictures posted by Kelley over the three weeks. We hope to see you all again next Summer! Sign up is Feb 1, 2010.
