If only the parents could see this.
It’s something we’ve wished for over and over. In fact, that was the impetus for writing this Blog in the first place. Our hope is to give you a peek into the world of Skylemar, without spoiling the magic.
There are things you’d see that would melt your heart, like when little guys cuddle up on the lap of a tattooed, brawny football player. Or when the fifteen-year-olds interrupt Nick Shep’s lax announcement by yelling “shout-out Mel!” in support of a teammate who didn’t make it on the field, but who nevertheless cheered with all his might.
You’d feel proud each time he tried something new, especially without your suggestion. It could be Waterskiing or the Zipline or being on stage doing a touchdown dance.
You might be a little bit appalled if you saw the shape of their cabin at 3:30 in the afternoon. Then again, there’s no mom, dad or housekeeper to follow up, and this bedroom holds the stuff of 8 brothers.
On the other hand, in the morning you’d be impressed to see these guys making beds, emptying trash and cleaning a toilet (well, kinda…). They come up with ingenious ways to handle these tasks, like sweeping with socks or pushing the dirt off the steps with a dustpan (that’s your kid, Lauren S).
You’d be astonished to hear with your very own ears a “yes, please” and “no thank you” from every single boy, over and over, as they approach each server in the buffet line. For the most part you’d feel good about the choices he makes when it comes to food. Maybe the pasta option is something you’d prefer not to continue at home, but then again, the salad bar rocks as long as there’s croutons.
For sure you would know that you raised him right if you watched him settle an argument, take up for a friend or make a full apology. You’d sit back and smile if you saw him filling our charity box with much of his Visiting Day treats. He knows there are kids who don’t have what he has.
For those who are able, you’ll see just a little tomorrow at 10. We do our best to make the day as “real” as possible, so kindly follow the schedule and enjoy watching your son. There are a number of boys and counselors who don’t have visitors, so please refrain from going into the cabin. It’s an "outside" day, rain or shine.
TODAY’S SPORTS UPDATE:
Tomorrow’s Visiting Day marks the halfway point in our summer season, and like Baseball’s All-Star Game, our participation in the Annual 15U Lacrosse Tourney has remained a Midsummer Classic. This year’s players signed up early in the season as Coach Nick Shep began grooming his squad back when our 1st weekly clinics program began. Blessed with talent from California to Florida, this year’s bunch was determined more than ever to get back the title so elusive of late. In the semi-final, our boys fell behind by 3 goals early before the Skylemar long poles (Defran, Jack and Zane) set up shop in front of stopper Jesse R , then watched the offense gel for a 7-3 victory.
The scoring continued as we opened the final by scoring the first 3 goals. The enthusiastic bench buzzed with passionate support as unsung hero Mel did all he could to keep the sideline energized, and our eyes on the prize. Tosh was everywhere - winning faceoffs at the X, hustling, defending and vacuuming ground balls all over the field. The offense kept clicking ‘til late in the game when it was Jesse’s time to really shine. Up by just one goal with the clock ticking down, Jesse became a brick wall in the cage, rejecting several late attempts to draw the game even including, an incredible game-saving stop from point blank range with just seconds left to preserve the 7-6 Championship win!
Victory was sweet – the celebration even sweeter! Armed with the title, the bus pulled into camp…the news had already begun to spread. Like arriving home after a Super Bowl win, the team and their coaches were swarmed by the excited campers who sped to the Shack. The team then suddenly, and collectively, sprinted down to Trickey’s rewarding waters and plunged on in. The raucous celebration continued until finally, at the behest of his club’s incessant chants, Coach Nick quickly addressed the team from the dock one final time -- and hurled himself in, capping off one for the ages.
