Today was one of those days when the “student taught the teacher.” As one would imagine, boys are going to get injured at summer camp. Today, one of the best athletes in camp and, without a doubt, one of the nicest young men in camp was running from third base to home in a baseball game. He felt a pop in his left ankle.
We are very fortunate to have a pediatric surgeon in residence that evaluated the ankle and determined it needed to be seen by a orthopedist. When the camper returned to camp, he was wearing a walking boot that extended from his foot to the top of his calf. Knowing this boy’s competitive spirit and sheer love of sports, I could barely contain my disappointment. Before I could utter a word, the young man told me that this was a brief bump in the road and, while he loves sports, what brings him back to Camp Takajo each year are the friendships he has formed throughout the years. As we sat in the office and called his mom and dad, I was consoled by this young man as he reminded me of all the things he can do at camp while he’s injured.
I immediately thought back to last year when, within a 24-hour period, I watched this young man win the Takajo Tennis Invitational in the 14-and-under singles division and later that day, performed on stage, dressed as a female, strutting in four-inch red stilettos. As the sun sets over Long Lake and another day comes to an end, I take great pride in knowing that our campers embrace the values we teach at camp.
