Musings From Summer

I'll admit it, I'm a camp guy. It's in my blood, I live for it. Summer camp is an amazing place for kids to grow and make lifelong memories. I've already spoken about camp being more important than ever in our blog post: Why Camp Is More Important Than Ever. So I won't bore you with a repurposed telling of that post. I want to use this blog post to point out some observations from the summer of 2025 and how that can reorient us headed into 2026.

General Musings: Predicting the everchanging frontier: Camps are steeped in tradition. Sometimes camps are so steeped in tradition that they lose sight of whether or not that tradition best serves the campers. Headed into our 10th year of operation the clearest thing is that every single year the wants and needs of that group are different than the group that proceeded them. I think traditions are wonderful in building camp culture, but it's important to be able to pivot to provide what's best for the current group.

Clearing the hurdle (mental stigma): I wrote about getting rid of the stigma around weight loss camps in our post: Time to Get Rid of the Stigma Around Weight Loss Camps. Despite our best efforts to dispel the preconceived notions about what camp is going to be like, a majority of campers come into camp with a perception of it being a punishment or that they are going to be miserable for 2, 4, or 6 weeks. The truth is that camp isn't a punishment and it's not miserable. While the weight loss camp industry is filled with horror stories and incidences of starvation, overworking, etc... that's simply not us. We're of the belief that if it's a bad experience, you're far less likely to actually learn what's being taught and will most likely not implement anything learned at camp when you get home. Just to make it as clear as possible, let's clear up some preconceived notions before we dive in:

1. No weigh-ins. Campers may weigh themselves privately on Sundays if they choose, but there is no requirement to track weight at any point.

2. No before-and-after photos. We understand the anxiety of arriving at camp and immediately being asked to take swimsuit photos while strangers measure your waist. That’s a hard no from us.

3. No prescribed meals. Instead of rigid meal plans, we provide a template: a protein, a single serving of carbs, and the rest of the plate filled with dark leafy greens. This allows for countless combinations, giving campers control over their food choices—an essential skill for maintaining healthy habits at home.

4. Nutrition education. Campers learn about macronutrients and micronutrients to make informed choices. Simply handing them a plate and saying, “Eat this, it’s good for you,” teaches nothing. We want our campers to develop the knowledge to navigate grocery stores, dining halls, cafeterias, and restaurants confidently.

5. No strict calorie counting or limits. Our campers do not go to bed hungry. They get their first plate of food, then wait 25 minutes to assess whether they’re still hungry. If they choose to eat more, they must incorporate fruits and vegetables to help them feel full. This approach helps them recognize true hunger cues and build a healthier relationship with food.

So yeah, tell me about how that mirrors what you had in your mind prior to attending camp? We obviously want to teach you about exercise, nutrition, and physiology. That being said, we want camp to be a fun and memorable experienced filled with great experiences and friendships. For a lot of campers they almost need a permission slip before they allow them to enjoy themselves. So here it is: Enjoy yourself, Camp New Heights is fun. We've built this program to best serve the camper and provide an enriching experience that will provide an exciting fulfilling summer. So throw away your preconceived notions and worries about what camp will be like and open your eyes to the amazing opportunity in front of you.

Weight loss: Campers were always shocked when they lost weight at camp. Why? Because what happens at camp is typically antithetical to everything they have done before. It really hits home the idea of small changes can have a big impact. We don't put campers on a starvation diet or work them into the ground with eight hours a day of exercise. Our philosophy revolves around giving campers the skills, tools, and knowledge to navigate through nutrition and physical activity at home. Our focus is never guided in the mindset of "you must lose weight", it's more focused on "look at how great it feels when you are active and fueling your body with nutrient dense food." This is why campers are shocked when the weight loss follows, because unlike possible previous attempts there was no deprivation, no tasteless food, etc... Camp New Heights believes deeply in this weight loss philosophy because it's so different than every weight loss camp that exists or proceeded us. This endeavor does not need to be one of misery and despair. Together we can guide you towards a healthier lifestyle that feels good that doesn't involve beating yourself up.

The Covid era is over: Covid was an incredibly difficult time to navigate as a camp. We attract kids from all over the country and world. The impact of Covid was felt for years after the main period. Due to campers missing out on social and emotional learning experiences from school, we saw that most campers were about 1-2 years behind in development based on their actual age. This had a cascading effect where the normal hierarchy of age was absent. What would normally be our 16 year old leaders were more like 14 years old and missing the requisite skills to be handed such power. This year showed that this era has finally ended. We saw tremendous maturity from our upper level campers and much more age appropriate behavior from the lower levels as well. This lead to camp relationships returning to a more synergistic feeling whereas in previous years staff had to provide a lot of handholding to help facilitate these relationships. While staff is still always here to provide a structure to help facilitate communication and relationships, the necessity of it seemed far less this year.

Phones and Technology: There were so many positives of the summer, but it is with great sadness that I report that this generations addiction to phones and technology is worse than we've ever seen previously. Close to two years ago, I wrote about our cell phone policy in our blog post: With The Phones at Bay, The Kids Will Play: Why Our Phone Policy Makes For a Better Camp Experience. What seemed like us providing our campers a technology free space was a great opportunity to grow socially and emotionally has turned into more of a detox from technology. While I'm not sure Camp New Heights will be the savior in getting kids to quit their phones, it's clear to me just how important it is that campers don't have their phones for the majority of camp. When campers received their phones back on Saturdays, there was a marked uptick in mood swings, confrontations between campers, and just a complete and utter disregard with those around them. Goodness knows that there are countless studies on how the use of technology affects the youth population, but at camp we can witness it firsthand. So while this dependance will continue to grow, this is a policy we're not going to budge on. Anecdotally these kids grow exponentially without the presence of technology and subsequently regress when they get their phones back. Technology is a part of our everyday lives, but camp should be anything but the everyday.

Keep them on their toes: This is the Tiktok generation, we gotta switch it up. There is a desire for consistency in education. Routines, procedures, etc... The problem with this philosophy is that it not only invites complacency, it breeds it. There was a conscious effort this summer to constantly be evolving and changing the program as the summer went on. The variety of classes, excursions, nighttime activities, etc... We don't ever want it to be going through the motions. Seeing the success of this model, we plan to continue to innovate for the summer of 2026 and really continue to try to make each week unique.

The first week remains the hardest: Every camper comes to camp unsure exactly what the experience is going to be like. The truth is that at camp you probably will be more active than you are in a typical day at home during the school year. This means that there will be a learning curve and an adjustment period. We had a camper this summer claim that he thought he had a disease because his legs were so sore. He believed that nobody else had ever experienced what he was experiencing. By week 3, he laughed at himself in that he simply had never pushed himself to the point of ever being physically sore. The idea of lactic acid buildup was a completely foreign concept. This can lead campers to think that they can't proceed with camp because it's "too hard." Much like anything in life, the point of resistance is where growth occurs. Once campers persevere through this early adaptation period, they always have an enlightenment of wanting to push themselves to continue to grow. This is why it's important to teach camper resiliency and perseverance.

The point of resistance is where growth occurs: This can come in many forms. For some campers it's the soreness of week 1. For other campers this could be a confrontation with a roommate. When campers hit that point of resistance, whatever form it takes, is the point in which campers achieve growth. As a staff, our job is to provide the support through these times to ensure that campers are able to navigate difficult situations and thrive on the other side of them. Resistance is not a bad thing, it's the catalyst for personal growth.

Survivor was better than we could've dreamed: Come on in! While I'm no Jeff Probst, I had an amazing time being the host of the week 4 Survivor challenge. The game was amazing to watch from the outside, but from all feedback it was a highlight for a lot of campers as well. The game immediately had buy-in from the majority of campers and those that didn't initially buy-in were right there with us by day two. The game provided a refreshing perspective on nighttime activities, alliances, tribal groupings, and so much more. The game was so dynamic and the gameplay was made for TV. The goal for 2026 is to really make it into a game that can be produced for a longform Youtube video that can really show how the game is played from the campers perspective. Alliances, blindsides, redemption, etc, we want to capture it all and be able to relive it as a camp. Don't worry campers, I'm already working on new challenges, advantages, and much more.

The magic of camp is still alive and well: "Why oh why do today’s summer camps insist on blanketing the grounds with photographers capturing every camper’s every swim stroke, craft creation, song session and gaga game? I know why, of course. It’s because of us parents. A generation of hopeless helicopters who insist on optimizing their offspring’s every experience — and on chronicling it in real time. It’s anathema to the essence of sleep-away camp, which should be not only a world without parents but a world that parents never fully see or understand." - My Generation of Parents is Ruining Sleepaway Camp.

Camp remains a sacred place for campers to grow in the absence of their parents. It's a magical place that should never be fully understood by parents. It's one that is filled with opportunities for self-discovery, friendships, and so much more.

The growth we witnessed from 6 week campers from arrival day to the last day was amazing. The opportunity to watch these campers grow and develop into kind and caring individuals is a gift that I will never take for granted. I am more passionate now about camp and the amazing journey we'll travel in the summer of 2026.