Summer Job

This summer, I worked at a camp in Pennsylvania. Camp IHC is situated in the middle of a forest in the city of Equinunk, about 4 hours away from New York City. At camp, there are very few distractions, and communication with the outside world is limited. I worked with kids of all ages, ranging from 8 to 16 years old. This past summer has been very challenging, entertaining, and rewarding. From creating my basketball game to getting 5 hours of sleep, I have experienced it all.  

My days started out earlier than most, waking up around 6:00 a.m. daily to get a workout in at the gym. After returning, already tired and sore, I had to ensure the kids in my bunk were awake and going through their morning routines of showering, brushing their teeth, and preparing for their day. This was one of the most challenging parts of my job because 13- and 14-year-olds aren't inclined to listen at 8:00 a.m. 

Another challenge I faced was engaging the younger kids in a one-hour group session, especially when they disliked playing basketball. It was even more difficult when we were on a hot outdoor court in the middle of the day. To address this, I created games that didn't necessarily involve "playing" the sport but focused on having fun. One game I came up with was tag on the basketball court, but everyone had to be dribbling while they were running from the person who was "it." A lot of screaming and yelling could be heard from the basketball court during this time. The kids seemed to love it, and it became a favorite group activity. When I had to coach the same group again, the first thing they would ask me was, "Coach LoLo, can we play the basketball tag game?" It was quite different being called a coach. Usually, I'm the one referring to someone as a coach, but being on the other side of things made me realize how much I enjoyed coaching. 

Right after coaching a group basketball lesson with Coach Ellie and Tyra, captured by Camp IHC photographer 

Being a large camp, IHC offered numerous activities to take part in during my free time. I never thought I would go water tubing, as I'm not a fan of the water, but I managed to do it comfortably at camp. Another activity I tried was rock climbing. I never would have considered rock climbing because I wouldn't put myself in that situation, or it was too costly. On days off, we could go out and enjoy the local nightlife, enabling me to connect even more with the other staff members. Over half of the staff at Camp IHC were international, so I was able to connect with people from all over the world, including Scotland, the UK, Brazil, and Australia. 

When I took this job, I assumed I'd only be a basketball coach, but my role expanded to be much more than that. I served as a role model for the kids. I established close connections with them by doing simple things like playing songs they hadn't heard before or engaging them in a game of H.O.R.S.E during a free period. Now they occasionally reach out, asking me to share my playlist or mentioning that they saw my high school basketball highlights on YouTube. This job is advertised on Camp IHC's website as "the best summer job." I can definitely concur with that, and I hope to return as a second-year staff member in 2024.