For the first time at Eliteam this summer, we had to change our schedule due to weather. Our planned hike was rained out this morning, so we opted for a mish-mash of activities in the gym instead- dance practice, agility relays, Berguntal competition, Dodge Ball & Kick Ball. And later, when the rain turned to sprinkles, we went out and had a big soccer tournament. It was Gunnar's team who crushed Jabber's team in the finals to take the Cup. We played with no goalies, but there were some terrific saves with legs and feet by Parker, Matt C, and Will. I’d say it was quick twitch muscles at their best.
After lunch and a notebook meeting (Psychology today) we headed off for the Sandpits in the misty rain. There was no way we were going to skip that one! The pits were a bit muddy, but that did not deter from the fun and excitement. Both Demi and Kyle capped their final year of ELITEAM (they’re 14 yrs old) with wins that had the coaches a little worried they would get beat. As always, the campers left wanting more. We like it that way.
After dinner, it was time for Andrew’s Crazy Relays, and tonight, Andrew was full of surprises – there were Magical Unicorns, Rocks-Trees-Bridges, cartwheels, water, struts, grooves and singing (Mary Had a Little Lamb). However, he made sure to work in all the camp favorites too… Todd’s Chicken Walk is always the biggest hit. Ask your kids for a demo! No matter what Andrew comes up with, it’s always a blast, but it’s always a tough workout too.
Sami, a World Cup newbie, watched as the first line of coaches went out to follow Andrew’s lead. When Andrew yelled, “Next line!” she stepped out, looked at Kelley and said with wide eyes and hesitant smile, “I’m scared!” Sami survived, as did most everyone, except Coach Matt G. who had a little hip flexor incident and had to request a sub. He should be fine tomorrow, but if he’s walking a bit funny, you’ll know why.
After the crazy relays, everyone was amped up for the Jello Drop. In a break from tradition, we actually had two different flavors of jello, and for the first time ever, we had yellow jello. Who knew yellow jello was so tasty?! This week we had a much stronger showing in the Jello Drop competition, with an unusually large number of partners advancing to the second and third rounds. In the first round, Coach Chad was odd man out and when he finally reached the front of the line, had no partner. Kelley, who is usually documenting the event, dropped her camera and came to Chad’s rescue. It has been several years since Kelley entered this competition, but surprised coaches and campers by successfully catching the yellow jello in all three rounds. With her impressive showing this evening, I think she is enjoying a whole new level of respect from the campers! JT, Ian and Tyler took top honors for the campers.
We finished the night with a talent show. Some years we have them, some we don’t. This year Paul gave us a hilarious one-man WALL-E show, complete with an encore. Annika sang her original hit “It’s Raining Baby”. By the fourth verse, the whole camp was singing along. And lastly, Rena, Allegra and Annika entertained us with a song from the hit "Shrek".
Tomorrow we’ll be up early to pack and clean the dorms- scrub toilets, showers and sinks, as well as sweep, mop and vacuum. By 10am, we’ll be ready for the Eliteam Olympics. Looks like a beautiful weather day too! It will be a great ending to Eliteam 2009. See you in the morning.