Dateline;  July 10, 2026

Subject: Sports, sports and more sports

Age Groups: All

A chance for everyone to give it a go in Intercamp Sports competition today – from our youngest guys all the way up through our oldest.  Even the Counselors got to join in the fun!

We hosted a Tennis Tourney for 3 age groups: 11U, 13U, and !5U on both the SkyI hard courts and the clay courts over at SkyII.  It all began just after breakfast, and our boys performed well in each of the 3 divisions.  In the youngest group, both Skylemar singles players swept thru to the final, where Alejandro edged Federico in a very tight match for the title. In the 13U group, once again our boys dominated. Misha was outstanding in the singles, while  Miles B and Henry G teamed up to run through the doubles bracket, winning both titles for the Red and Gray.  Then, in the very competitive, high-level 15U group, Coop showed how strong a player he’s become, and Reed and Archie were quite formidable as a doubles team as well, all reaching the finals.  Tennis Director Ted was most proud of our guys – we seemed to be loaded with enthusiastic competitors at every age level.  Well done.

Moving over to the Hoops courts, Skylemar hosted the annual 10U Basketball Tourney.  The interest was as strong as ever, so we fielded two well-rounded teams to participate.  Both teams did quite well, with each splitting a pair of games.  Bode W and Micah R led the way for Coach Noah and his Hoops squad, who were most impressed by how much some of our guys had improved their game since we arrived.  

Our first intercamp Hockey for the 12U group saw them go on the road a 4-team round robin event. These guys battled through a couple of tight, well-played games, but it was our youngest guys who stood out the most.  Coach Ben gave a huge shout-out to the twins Luke and Jack G , who represented Sky like they’ve been here for years, with efforts worth another mention here.  Cheers to all the Hockey guys – very well done.

And finally, our world-class Soccer Director Paul Harrison has transformed our very talented, older guys into a most cohesive unit.  Most of today’s group, the 14U squad, have already had a few matches at the 15U level.  With Paul at the helm, we are watching some of the best soccer ever played by this age group.  Once again, against some very tough and talented clubs, our guys took control after a shaky start in game 1, a come-from-behind 3-2 thriller.  Looking up from a 1-nil early deficit, then 2-1 later, Ignacio ignited a burst in the last 5 minutes to push us over the top in a 3-2 victory.  Leopold once again stayed aggressive to the ball and created much opportunity for others throughout. In the Championship match,  our steady improvement as a team really showed, gelling beautifully at the perfect time, beating Cedar handily 4-1.  Maybe the most improved player we have, Max P even caught the keeper snoozing away from the net and scored on a long shot from nearly midfield.  David G played superbly in both games, adding a couple of more  wins to his very busy season in the goal.

Bravo to all our boys!  Putting on a Skylemar jersey clearly means a lot to them.  They continue to represent us with great sportsmanship, teamwork, and effort — showing class in victory or defeat. We couldn’t be prouder.

And if that action wasn’t enough, tonight was a chance for our outstanding, well-celebrated Hoops Staff to put on a show, in the Counselor All-Star Game.  Fryeburg Academy’s B-ball Coach (and Luci Shep’s significant other) DT and his gang took on St. Paul’s HS Baseball Coach (close enough – and schedule guru) Barney and his squad of hoopers in a rollicking, fun-filled night activity for the entire camp to enjoy.

And what a show it was!   Music, mascots, creamsicles, and a cheering crowd with a spectacular sunset in the horizon.  Each time a player sunk a three-pointer, a name of a spectator was pulled from the giant raffle drum, and the lucky winner got some Skylemar swag. There was a Slam Dunk Contest, a 3-point Shooting Contest, and a Half-Court Shot Contest for the Seniors & Stars Division.  Jake M hit the half-court shot and all the older guys stormed the court.  It was like a scene out of a movie, and we’re all lucky to have shared in the moment Jake will remember the rest of his life.  Blake Shep was the Master of Ceremonies, and a great time was had by all.

As for the game, Barney’s team led throughout the 4^th Quarter and had it up to 7 with 2 minutes to go.  After a rebound follow shot by 7’ Dut brought them within 5, Coach DT drove for a left-handed layup, then hit a 3-pointer to tie it up.  A 3-point miss put the ball back in DT’s hands with the game on the line … and he delivered with a baseline floater that rolled around the rim and splashed through at the buzzer to win.

We all won today!