During the summer, fellow Gold Scholar Penelope and I spent two months working at a summer camp in Massachusetts, USA. This camp, Berkshire Soccer Academy, is an all-girls soccer institution that helps young girls aged between 9-16 develop holistically on their soccer abilities. Our camp advocated what they called their 'Berky Big Three'; Develop as a Whole Player, Build Meaningful Relationships, and Have Good Ol' Clean Healthy Fun. With this, Berky encourage the use of the 'Three Berky Norms' which are, One Mic (encouraging the importance of listening to one person when they are talking), Step Up-Step Back (emphasising the significance of helping others show their potential), and Don't Yuck my Yum (showing the importance of not putting others down for their differences). At camp, there were five ResLife groups to split up the age groups; Courage, Dash, Spirit (which were Lower Camp), Reign and Thorns (which were Upper Camp). Each is named after sports teams in Massachusetts. I was a counsellor in Reign and Penelope was a counsellor in Spirit.
Penelope and I decided to apply for this opportunity as it had been an ambition of ours to explore the United States and experience the unique environment that can be found at camp. With this, I have always had a passion for football and knowing how successful female football is in the States, I wanted to experience it close up.
This meant when we learned about the Opportunities Fund, we knew it was a sign to take the leap and chase our ambitions. The process of securing a camp included working with an agency called Wild Packs, where we were supported through the process of completing interviews and securing a Visa. After a trip to the Embassy in London and an approved Visa, we were well and truly on our way to the summer of a lifetime!
At camp, there were a plethora of different roles. My role was as a Cabin Counsellor and Assistant Soccer Coach, and Penelope's role was that of Cabin Counsellor and Arts and Crafts Leader.
We had very different experiences in our specific roles but as Cabin Counsellors we had a weekly schedule that we would follow with our cabins and Co-Counsellors. While our week was jam-packed with a lot of activities and hard work, we had the best experiences and made the purest memories. Here is a rundown of our weekly activities with our cabins:
Sunday: This was arrival day for the children. After they had unpacked and finished their soccer/electives for the day each cabin would gather around the Opening Campfire and enjoy cookies with milk. During this, staff members would get up on stage and perform skits for the children to enjoy (a phenomenon in which we loved!).
Monday: After dinner time we would rotate back to our cabins and get ready for Cabin Cup. This included dressing up and competing against the other cabins on camp in a themed competition. The winners would keep the trophy on their dining table for the week and of course, win severe bragging rights!
Tuesday: Tuesday's activity was by far our favourite... Berky Tourney! This was a huge themed soccer tournament where the children would be split into teams and given a colour. For example, the theme in week 6 was Inside Out and I was coaching red which meant I was Team Anger and my team would dress in red. Penelope was Team Fear which meant she was dressed in black. However, every week there would be a different theme. The soccer staff would each have their own team to lead and would be paired with some elective staff that would help keep spirits high during the tournament. We always went all out for Berky Tourney, as you can see from the below picture!
Wednesday: Every Wednesday we would have the Closing Campfire. As this was the campers last night at camp, we would celebrate a fantastic week with some delicious s'mores around the campfire. Every cabin would have to perform a skit and at the end, ResLife leaders would pick their favourite ones.
Thursday: This was the last day at camp so the campers who were not staying for bridge would pack up their stuff and get ready to leave. This day was always emotional for us as we had to say goodbye to some amazing connections we had made with our campers.
Friday: Fridays were dedicated to bridge trips. These are days-out of camp for the campers who were staying for 2 sessions and over the weekend. The trips involved taking the campers to waterparks, theme parks, white water rafting or high ropes. As counsellors we had to stay with our cabins and ensure the campers were safe.
Saturday: On Saturday the activities would be all outside the dining room and down by the lake. After breakfast the different activities would start, and the campers could move freely from one activity to the next. The activities changed each week, but some common ones included, hiking to the waterfall, tie dye t-shirts, basket weaving, pizza pinwheels, cookie decorating, general swimming and tubing.
As an Assistant Soccer Coach, I would be given a training group each week in which I would help lead. My role mainly involved setting up drills and sometimes running drills if given the opportunity. Everyday the campers would have two soccer sessions, being 90 minutes each. During these sessions the Master Coach would run drills that develop on important aspects like passing & receiving, defensive principles, shooting & crossing and field awareness. The biggest responsibility of the ACs was to lead Mental Skills. These sessions took place before the first soccer practice everyday, where ACs would teach the campers about the importance of Sport Psychology and how powerful a positive mindset is in sport. Everyday there would be a Mental Skills 'word of the day', which meant their drills during practice would be based on adapting the mental skill. There would be set activities to run through with the campers during the session to help them build on the skill. I learned so much as a coach and as a player through being an Assistant Coach. Although it was challenging at times, I developed on a myriad of personal aspects such as communication, confidence, responsibility and accountability. The unique experiences faced at camp helped me build on all of these essential skills in a safe and rewarding environment.
As an Arts and Crafts activity leader, Penelope led three 1-hour sessions per day. Penelope planned two different activities for the week, these activities changed each week. Before the session she would set up the art fort ready for the activity to commence. She would lay out the tables with all the equipment and turn on the speaker to keep the vibe upbeat and fun for the campers. She would then head down to breakout ready to collect the campers who had just come down from their soccer session. Once she had all our campers, she would then head up to the art fort to begin the session. Penelope then explained the activity of the day and how to complete the activity before letting them begin. She would walk around the room to see if the campers needed any help. As the session continued, she would sit down with the campers and make conversation with them. The session ended with everyone helping to tidy up the equipment they used and tucking in their chairs before leaving. Penelope believes that her experience as an Arts and Crafts leader allowed her to develop immensely on my leadership, communication, and organisation skills. The role pushed her through challenges but she learned some very valuable lessons along the way.
Our time at Berkshire Soccer Academy was truly remarkable. The opportunities it presented were once in a life time, we cannot express our gratitude to the Opportunity Fund enough. From leaping outside of our comfort zone, being pushed to new limits and making heartfelt friendships that we will carry with us for a long time. This was a truly unique experience that we are so thankful to have completed together. From our nine weeks at Berky and month of travelling around the USA, the whole summer was enlightening expedition.
My experiences in the US pushed me to seek out other opportunities. For example, I have now switched onto completing a placement year for my course at the University of Bath. Over the summer, I embraced new challenges and stepped outside my comfort zone, which inspired me to aim higher in my career aspirations. I’m thrilled to share that I’ve now secured an Athletic Performance internship at University of California, Los Angeles! I’m extremely thankful to the Opportunities Fund for supporting my continuous steps forward, and I can’t wait to grow in this exciting role during my placement year.
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