As a parent, coach, educator, and someone who spends a great deal of time thinking about how children grow and develop confidence, I made a huge choice. Choosing to send my six-year-old to sleepaway camp might seem like a big leap. Many parents hear “overnight camp” and think, ‘maybe when they’re older’. But for me, the decision came from the opposite place: a belief in independence, adventure, and giving kids the opportunity to experience things that shape who they become.
And when I learned about Camp Waziyatah, it felt like the right place to let that adventure begin.
Raising Kids Who Are Brave Enough to Try
As both a coach and teacher, I spend my days helping young people step outside their comfort zones. I ask swimmers to race events they’ve never swum before. I encourage students to enroll in courses they aren’t sure they can handle.
It would be hard for me to preach those values without living them in my own family.
Camp is one of the few places left where kids get to practice independence in a controlled, safe environment. They wake up in their cabin, choose their activities, navigate friendships, and learn to solve little problems on their own. Those moments build confidence in ways that structured activities often can’t.
At Camp Waziyatah, campers live and play on a beautiful 130-acre campus along a private lake in Maine, surrounded by woods, water, and a multitude of opportunities for exploration.
For a six-year-old, that kind of environment feels like stepping into a storybook. Sure, there is the fear of the unknown, but in his life he has always worked through these emotions with support and knows that he is strong and resilient.
The Little Things That Make It Magical
For my son, the excitement isn’t about big philosophical ideas. It’s about the little things.
It’s packing his trunk with camp clothes and a flashlight, imagining campfires and roasting marshmallows, and sitting at home, wondering if he’ll try archery or sailing first.
Camp Waziyatah offers more than 30 activities, fully child-chosen, spread across six activity periods each day.
One day he might try paddleboarding or swimming in the lake. Another day he might make friendship bracelets, climb a ropes course, or learn how to shoot a bow and arrow. Campers even get to participate in special all-camp events like themed “Otter Days,” including things like Harry Potter-style competitions and other creative activities that bring the whole camp together.
The possibilities are truly endless.
Choice Builds Confidence
One of the things that drew me most to this camp is its “Kid’s Choice” programming. Instead of assigning activities, campers choose what they want to do. I love the power in this: when kids choose their activities, they take ownership of their experiences. They learn what they enjoy, what challenges them, and what they might want to try next. For a kid, making those choices can be the beginning of discovering their true passion.
Real Connections, Not Screens
Another thing I love about camp that ties to my own values as a parent is that it creates something that is increasingly rare: real friendships without technology. Camp Waziyatah encourages campers to connect through shared experiences instead of screens. They swim together, build things, and play. They stay up whispering together from their bunks. Those are the friendships kids remember for the rest of their lives.
Parent’s Quiet Pride
Of course, sending your child away is emotional. There’s the moment you picture them walking into their cabin, and you wonder how they’ll get settled.
But there’s also a different feeling: an enormous pride that they’re brave enough to try something new. That they are learning independence, and that they have the opportunity to experience something unforgettable.
The Summer That Starts Their Story
When I think about this upcoming summer, I don’t picture the day I drop him off. I picture the stories he’ll tell when he comes home. The new friends, the lake swims, the campfire songs, and the many activities he will try for the first time.
Sleepaway camp isn’t just a place kids go for a few weeks. It’s where they begin to discover who they are. Sometimes the bravest thing we can do as parents is let that discovery begin sooner than we imagined.
