The day started off with great hope and promise. The forecast called for overcast skies with little chance of rain. Good news for our boys, who were participating in the Takajo Tennis Invitational.
Our team made their way down to breakfast and sat together in the dining hall with looks of anticipation and excitement. We were hosting many camps from around the state of Maine, and they rolled in right on schedule. The first round was underway. All 17 tennis courts were in use, and our boys— dressed in Takajo uniforms— were representing us with great pride… until the rain came.
A light, misty sprinkle hovered over the camp just long enough to make our hard courts unplayable. The coaches from each camp huddled with our tennis director, and the tournament was postponed.
We also hosted a 12-and-under basketball tournament. Because we’re fortunate to have two indoor sports complexes, the rain played no factor.
I had an interesting meeting today with a bunk of Warrior campers who came into my office for a mid-season huddle. Nothing overly serious— there were some boys who felt their bunkmates weren’t sharing the responsibility of cleaning and others who were disappointed because items had been taken off their shelves without permission. We also discussed flashlights being used after taps, with beams being shined into other boys’ faces while they were trying to sleep. I’d chalk all of these behaviors up to normal developmental bumps in the road.
I imagine it would be fair to say that if I put the parents of these campers in a bunk and expected them to live in harmony for six-and-a-half weeks, I might have to host a similar bunk meeting with the adults.
Living together, respecting one another’s boundaries, and learning how to navigate social situations in such close quarters is no easy task.
As we discussed strategies for living together, I noticed that each boy was more focused on trying to speak over his bunkmate than on actually listening. So, we paused for a quick exercise. One camper would express a concern to his bunkmate, and before the bunkmate could respond, he had to repeat what was said. This simple exercise forced these bunkmates to hear and acknowledge each other before reacting. By the time the boys left my office, they were expressing their feelings and receiving validation in a way that they hadn’t before.
Part of building deep and meaningful friendships is being a good listener and showing compassion. I think this bunk has taken the first step toward building that foundation.
