Thanks @CateCAParent! As Col Shultz would say (for those of you old enough to remember that un-PC show Hogan’s Heroes), “I know NOTHING!” We are still waiting to hear about the camp job that was cancelled last year - teaching wildness skills & canoe trekking up in Canada. She has an internship lined up at hospital - but as of now it will be virtual like last year. A program that was supposed to be in person last summer was switched to online - 6 hours a day for 2 weeks and we received only a $500 rebate. As someone stated above, way too expensive for that experience. The 2 in-person programs she applied to are not yet telling us if they actually will be going ahead in person. My personal desire is to lock her in a room and have her do hundreds of SAT practice tests
What wilderness camp in Canada? My 6th grader was supposed to go to one last year ans is really hoping it will actually happen this year. Didn’t know if you had any insight from the non-camper side on the likelihood of anything international happening.
Feel free to DM me @Parkview25 - for information on wilderness camps, Outward Bound, and also dog sledding. We are your multi-dimensional recreation service here on this thread - not only golf!
Wow - @CateCAParent! I knew Werner Klemperer’s dad was the conductor of the LA Philharmonic and they were Holocaust survivors…as was the actor who played Col Shultz (John Banner)and the actor who played Lebeau (Robert Clary). Brilliant people. There is a compelling interview on YouTube of Werner Klemperer speaking about his school year’s in California.
I remember reading something about how he only agreed to do the part if it was clear that the Nazis were basically buffoons. He took the responsibility of having that role very seriously.
I always thought of that show as necessary catharsis.
But I digress. Wilderness camp in Canada. How bad are the ticks up there?
@Golfgr8 You may really be overthinking it. We were always told that summer programs matter very little, with few exceptions, and kids should do what they want and focus on having fun and maybe achieving some sort of personal growth. At least with my older kid’s class, I did not see any difference in terms of college acceptances between the kids who were grinding the academic programs vs. the ones who were hanging out on the beach and working as lifeguard at the local camp. My own kid did not even put the travel program on the college apps, as we were always told the ‘pay to play’ programs were not something colleges wanted to see. And it was not a fancy thing, just combination of travel/service with the sports team. And there is only so much SAT prep that can be done, most kids really need to recharge in the summer. Mine always do anyway.
I think many kids don’t have the time during the school year to go off and do what they want. Most use time the Summer to go deeper: Some will do it via Academic camps, others by learning about something they are interested in. I think your point about pay to play camps is correct.
But there are many kids who do lie out on the beach, work and also do something else (like a class or an interest). The Summer is long for BS students. I can’t imagine a kid not doing anything. Hopefully they are at least working.
Actually @417WHB I am not the one over-thinking it - the wilderness program (that was cancelled) and the hospital internship (she did last summer virtually) were her ideas. . She wanted to do this. As it may surprises you…my kiddo has been attending this wilderness camp for 8 years and was finally old enough to work there - and get paid! Some of you on here know this experience and have even asked about it in the past. This is not a cynical distribution to pad the application. It is also empowering for a teen to be with others for each other’s reliance. Frankly, I don’t many kids who could physically or emotionally endure it. Built resiliency. Kiddo thrives on the physical labor involved at this camp on Canadian border without electricity and without technology. That is (as you say) re-charging it for the summer. Takes guts to do this for a month. Not even thinking of writing about it either for the college apps. BTW, I must be really slipping after COVID to have my humor about SAT practice being taken seriously !
Not surprised at all, my older kiddo did wilderness program (NOLS) in high school for a month as well. I would never dream of it, carrying 40 lbs of stuff on my back for a month and sleeping in a tent. Quite a change of scenery for a city kid. They started back up this fall so hopefully your daughter’s program will happen as well. Most sleep away camps are back on, the remote location seems to make it more possible to pull it off. I figured you were joking about the SAT but there was some real worry in other posts of yours on this thread, so…but where do you fit in the golf? My younger one can’t do the NOLS because of sports, with spring season gone we can’t really afford to miss any of the summer stuff.
Of course they work but in high school jobs - camp counselors, life guards, ice cream store, golf caddy, restaurant etc. Some also play sports, or do community theatre or volunteer thing at the library or food bank. Or a little bit of all, like my older kid who never picked ‘the thing’ in high school. It was totally fine.
I am posting this reply even though it is a bit off topic - but I did want to respond to your question about balancing golf with real life and other growth experiences. We were given solid advice about 10 years ago that if our kid stayed with an individual sport, to also provide team-sport experiences as well as no-frills camp experiences. It was important for our family to provide experiences that would promote responsibility, independence and cooperation with other children. We always made room for sports, faith and service opportunities. This resulted in playing less well in one sport, yes. Was it a loss? No. Frankly, I think kids “specialize” in one sport too early in childhood. There is a lot of pressure to do so. Who(m) does this serve? Coaches, mostly. But for us, it would have been a disaster if we had put all the eggs in one basket (I’m not just talking one sport). The other endeavors in life have contributed to our kiddo’s happiness, resilience,and ability to get a long with others.
@Golfgr8 I totally agree with all you said in general. I meant more related to the topic of this thread, the college process. For the sports I am most familiar with, summer before senior year is mad dash to get in front of coaches at tournaments or prospect clinics for anyone who does not have a college commitment yet, so for that summer it is a priority activity. Especially this year with high school seasons and ability to attend tournaments during the year was very limited (or non-existent for BS students), and the NCAA dead period has been never ending. But I now realize it must be very sport dependent.
Not knowing golf at all, other than as an annoying hacker at the local club who is more there to drink and be outside than actually golf, my guess is that it would be an easier sport than some to do “paper recruiting.” By that I mean, at least if you are playing courses and tournaments familiar to college coaches, they can look at a bit of film to see your swing, and know that if you consistently shoot X in tournaments at course Y there is at least a feel for how good you are. Track and swimming are probably the easiest to do this, for the most part the clock is the ultimate arbiter of ability.
For something like baseball, soccer, etc. caliber of teammates and opponents is such a huge factor I would think having eyes on someone in a live competition would be more important. Live viewing I’m sure is preferred by everyone, but if I had to pick a golfer or a goalie blind, I would feel much more confident picking the golfer.
interesting. my son missed the chance for a “real” job this past summer because of covid. everything around us was shut down and real jobs had grownups. this coming summer will be a wash. new coach has said “no real jobs, you can babysit or do yard work.” he wants them at his beck and call for practices at all hours. so I guess my son lucks out. no real job and “working” at his favorite sport. I told him he will have to babysit for the kids in the neighborhood though.
The GC hasn’t yet shared this with our students, but someone posted it online today.
Also, if you have a BS student with learning differences and they are college bound next year, or applying, please DM me because I have a new educational thread to direct you to.
golf!