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Tak Talk Blog- Camp Takajo – July 23, 2021

By July 23, 2021 Tak Talk
Maine Swimmers

I must admit, it feels a little strange not greeting parents and grandparents for what should have been our first of two visiting days today. I take pride in all that your boys accomplish in camp and the amazing staff that are devoted to providing your guys with a fun-filled, safe, and enriching summer. I have always seen visiting day as a time to celebrate those accomplishments and allow parents to feel the energy in camp. Rest assured, you are missed, but the energy and excitement exist without you.

Our Junior boys are continuing to compete in their Green vs. Grey challenge games. The most recent sport that our boys competed in was soccer. Our Greys held onto a 1-0 lead for most of the game until our Green leaguers caught their older counterparts a little flat-footed on defense. A quick pass through the seam to a cutting teammate resulted in the tying goal which forced the game into overtime. The entire Junior Camp and many other onlookers watched as both teams selected players for penalty kicks. After the first players fired shots on the opposing goalkeeper, the score was still tied. Additional players from each team were selected for the next round of PKs. It took an additional four players to test their skill before the Grey leaguers were able to outscore their younger opponents and eke out a victory. While hundreds of campers and staff rushed the field to celebrate the players and the Grey league victory, I caught the two goalkeepers in an emotional and sincere embrace. For a moment, it was hard to tell which goalie was the victor. Both had experienced the stress and pressure that come with being the last line of defense. Both boys had sampled the taste of victory before one had to swallow the reality of defeat. This was the defining moment of the game, the appreciation for one’s opponent, the recognition that hard work doesn’t always lead to a win, but experience makes you more prepared for the next challenge. 

Our Tennis Tournament has come to an end. An event that would normally last one day and have fewer Takajo participants has lasted for multiple days and given many more boys the thrill of competing in one of our camp’s most prestigious events. I witnessed friends who have lived together as bunkmates for their entire camping careers walking from their bunk to the courts together, chatting and laughing as they have for years until that moment when they unzipped their tennis bags and pulled their racquets out to play. The talk stops, the demeanor changes in an instant, and the boys lock in with laser focus and play. Always respectful and complementary of a great shot, these bunkmates and friends compete for the thrill of victory and for bragging rights for the rest of time.

Even our youngest campers, our Crows, are participating in their own tennis tournament. No matter the age or ability level, we offer everyone the opportunity to develop their skills in every sport we offer. At the end of the day, our Warrior campers made their way to the Playhouse to watch our Senior campers perform their Big Show, Big Fish. In keeping with our safety protocols, we are having our younger, unvaccinated campers enjoy a separate performance, rather than packing the entire camp into our Playhouse on a warm summer evening. 

As we prepare for tomorrow’s virtual visiting day, let me share a little of what we have in store. Every camper will be receiving a bag of candy, small enough to consume over the weekend but large enough to create a sugar high (and a few stomach aches). Our Warrior campers will make FaceTime calls home in the late morning, and our Junior boys will connect with their families after lunch in the early afternoon. We have created an email that we will send to you with your son’s bunk’s “proof of life” video. Please don’t expect much. Corralling the boys was as challenging as creating our Covid protocols.

We will live stream events around camp, like our cookout, which is set to begin around noon, and our all-camp ice cream sundae bash starting at around 3:30 PM. These events will remain on our social media platforms in case you miss them in real-time. On behalf of my staff, we thank you for sharing your boys with us, and we will make this weekend a celebration they deserve.