Top Ten Ways to Get Out of Summer Slump at Camp

Top Ten

1. Set One Goal — Try to have one or two clear goals for the season. Too many will dilute your energy.
2. Inspiration — Inspiration can come from a lot of places. I like to read, or sometimes it comes from taking a break every other day and watching re-runs of Dallas on the SOAP network (not that I would ever do that). Consider the inspiration that relates to the goals that you have set; for example, Building a Better Team Goal . . . read articles or a good book about team building.
3. Create Excitement — While this may sound obvious, you have to be deliberate about excitement, or you may not move out of the slump. Once you have started deliberate excitement, it’s important to build on it. Practice visualization techniques. The author, Richard Bach, would practice by dematerializing clouds with his mind. I have always pictured myself doing what I need to do next, and imagining the outcome in a positive manner.
4. Anticipation — Like the old ketchup commercial, sometimes anticipation will make it taste that much better. Don’t get this one confused with procrastination though — start right away. Sometimes, we look forward to a particular activity or event during the summer and want to start right away — save a goal for later in the season that makes sense to do. Perhaps it’s something as simple as making ice cream shakes for your entire staff during their time off — a form of servant leadership — and another way to motivate staff.
5. Declare Your Goals — Put them up in the camp office, and share them with your staff. You don’t need a mission statement, just a few words that you can repeat and keep clear in your head. A big reminder for big goals, and perhaps some pictures of the goal for emphasis, can also be helpful.
6. Make It Public — Again, it is amazing how much support you might get from declaring goals. Or, perhaps you share your goals with a family member or friend who will help keep you on task and create some accountability.
7. Check In Daily — Review your goals every day, and they will be more likely to happen. Write yourself a note for mid-summer, seal it in an envelope, and open it when you have reached that deep blue funk. This is a great tool for staff as well.
8. Support System — Camp is never a solo effort, so keeping out of a slump shouldn’t be either. Accountability and inspiration need to be deliberate — so always ask for help.
9. Camp Is About Beginnings and Endings — A wise camp director once told me that there is an ebb and flow to camp. I sometimes describe it is as a snow ball that gets bigger and bigger as it rolls down the hill of summer. Never get in the way of the flow or you may get run over. I have also realized that in the ebb and flow motivation can come and go. Invest in these ideas, and it will come back.
10. Never Give Up, Never Surrender — Okay, I borrowed that from the Tim Allen movie, Galaxy Quest (remember item number two and Dallas?). Don’t give up, even when you’re just not feeling it. It will come back. Eight to twelve weeks of summer will go by fast, and while there may be some bumps, it will end. As Vince Corsaro used to say when he was with the YMCA, “ONWARD!”
11. 11. Small Bite Size Chunks — How do you eat an elephant? If you have heard this saying, you know it also applies to camp. Start small and work your way up. Lofty goals and grand plans go away fairly quickly when you hit the reality of the camp machine.

(I know I said this list was a “Top 10” and there are eleven items . . . I could add another one for twelve, but you need your rest . . . . )

Compiled by A.L. Ferreira and inspired by Brian Crater, Wally Wirick, Vince Corsaro, Tom Madeyski, Richard Bach, David Jacobs, David Howard as well as countless camp leaders who have shared, led, and taught me well.

Originally published in the 2009 July/August issue of Camping Magazine.