Every Day: The Camp

The pictures posted so far have mostly been cropped to highlight the players. Today it’s time to take a look around. I really wish that there was a better way to convey the beauty of this location. All this rain that gets in the way of activities makes the surrounding fields and hills wonderfully green. The camp itself is part of one of the oldest deeded properties in New York. The family who sold the partners this land has owned it for 150 years and is still the nearest neighbor. The family didn’t want to see the area developed into houses so this concept seemed much more appealing.

The camp is much like it looks on the website. As this is only the second year, everything still looks and feels new. The two turf fields are great and the boys really seemed to like them. There were two grass fields marked out that were used for practices and skills training. There are additional grass fields that can be used for either lacrosse or soccer. They were not marked this week, but they were otherwise maintained and ready for use.

The athlete’s village seemed quite nice. Admittedly, as a mom, I wasn’t generally welcomed up the hill too close to the cabins. I didn’t mind this in the least! The boys had their meals at the dining tent. There was a bit of grumbling here and there about the food, but we hear that at home. The meal I had at camp was fine.

The group has two cabins. Coaches F, S, and P and Mr. G. share the cabin with the 7/8 team while coaches W and F are in the cabin with the 5/6 team. Each cabin has two rooms. The 7/8 team just spread out throughout the two rooms. The 5/6 team organized their cabin such that one room is the locker room for gear and the other is the bunkhouse. These pictures are of the 7/8 rooms. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to venture into the 5/6 cabin again to take pictures. The phrase “looks like a bomb went off” applies well.

The views from the fields are fantastic. All of us remarked on the lovely cloud formations.

However, it is probably good that we cannot share smells over the internet. The fields and freshly cleaned air after the rain are great. Remember how I said this land used to be a farm? There are still farms nearby. Those farms have cows. I grew up on a farm and am finding more than a little humor in the reactions from those who did not grow up with these organic scents. That said, I will be very glad to leave that part of the experience behind! There are other aromas that are even less pleasant than the cows. One of the downsides to all this rain and humidity is that clothing and towels don’t dry well. Add some heat and a whole lot of playing and, well, the gear is getting pretty ripe. The boys don’t seem to notice, but the parents are staying well away from the cabins!

There is even a camp dog. This is Bailey and she is s sweetheart. She isn’t normally allowed to run loose, but she did manage to insert herself into the closing ceremonies.