Inspirational thought.
"Camp is all about beginnings and endings," Brian Crater.
I can't count how many times I heard Brian say that and how many times I have repeated it myself. And as another summer ends or apporaches the end. (Or perhaps it ahs ended for you and your camp). Here is wat I know...
...The first day of staff training feels like opening night on Broadway—full of promise, nerves, and potential.
The first day of camper arrival is a cannonball into the deep end, ready or not. We orient, we launch, we adjust, we lead. We keep showing up.
But then, before we know it, it’s over. The last camper boards the bus. The dining hall goes quiet. We hand out end-of-season t-shirts and tear down tents. Some staff cry, some sprint to their next adventure. And you, the Camp Director, sit in the silence and begin to plan again.
Here’s my sincere recommendation: Don’t. Not yet, Wait 30 days before making decisions about next summer. Too many times, in my early career, I would make declarations like, “you’ll never work in this town again.” And then it would become, “you’ll never work in this town again, until I call you and offer you another position.”
Give your brain and heart time to settle.
Why wait? Because what you’re feeling now isn’t clarity. It's exhaustion, adrenaline withdrawal, and emotional residue.
You're likely feeling one (or all) of these:
“That was the best team I’ve ever worked with.”
“Let’s do it all again.”
“I’m never rehiring that person. Ever.”
“We need to double the staff. And the budget.”
“And cancel that session.”
Or worse, “Do I even want to do this again?”
I’ve seen it time and again over four decades in youth work: directors make hasty decisions in the emotional echo of the season’s end. The campfire’s still warm, but the clarity hasn’t come yet.
In my blog, I’ve often written that leadership is a process, not a performance. That applies to us as much as to our teams.
“Keep showing up doesn’t mean keep rushing forward. Sometimes it means sitting still long enough to see things clearly.” — alFerreira coaching
Instead, try this:
1) Capture your thoughts, but don’t act on them. Make voice memos, jot notes, send yourself emails. Let it all out. But label it: raw thoughts, not final plans.
2) Rest. Get sleep. Hydrate. Hug your family. Eat food that didn’t come from a camp kitchen.
3) Reflect. What surprised you? What challenged you? What worked in spite of yourself?
4) Reconnect with your “why.” Ask yourself the question I often ask myself: What kind of leader do I want to be for the next generation? Let time clarify what emotion distorts.
After 30 days, revisit those notes. You’ll find that some of your strongest feelings still hold true, and many will have softened or reshaped.
You will make better choices.
You will ask better questions.
You will be more strategic, less reactive.
You will be ready.
Camp deserves that from you. And more importantly—you deserve that for yourself.
See you down the path, – al
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