Coach: A few words of advice for summer camp counselors

Another summer has descended upon our Glenview and Northbrook towns (doesn't it seem like we just came back from spring break?), and now the warm weather activities are in full swing.

Among these summer activities is a wide - and I do mean wide! - variety of camps available for our community's youth.

The list is near endless with park districts offering myriad potential camp activities covering the gamut from arts and crafts, to nature, to all around camps and, of course, sports camps with more variety and possibilities than there are cereals on the breakfast aisle at your local grocery store.

Top that off with all the private camps, both local and up in Wisconsin, and camps running from as short as one week to the entire summer, and you can see there is pretty much something for everyone. And if there isn't? You can probably find someone to start one.

How to choose? Not easy, but that is a topic for another day.

This week we take a look at the people who run these camps. The staff, the counselors, the assistant counselors, the directors, the junior leaders and all the other different levels of supervision needed to make these camps run. Many of these staff members are as young as high school age, many others in college, and still others adults finding work in the summer months.

I have compiled a list below of some suggestions for our beloved, hardworking camp staff, many who have already started their summer work.

These ideas, suggestions, thoughts and advice are all gained from many years of working and teaching at various camps. Many of the items, by the way, were learned by me the hard way - another way of saying don't be afraid to make mistakes, only be afraid if they stay mistakes.

Here we go:

• First and foremost, being a camp counselor is NOT an easy job! Despite what some may think, having to control, supervise, and actually teach young kids through the depths of the summer heat when the days are long is no picnic in the park. I suppose to coast (as some counselors, unfortunately, tend to do) you can make it a fairly easy job. But to do a really good job? To stay upbeat, positive and energetic, with the same group of kids over the long course of the summer? Not easy at all. In fact, one could say it "takes a saint" to stay strong all the way through. Again - that is for the ones who really want to go above and beyond as a camp counselor, which hopefully all of you do.

• Keep the kids active. Too much downtime leads to restlessness, and restlessness leads trouble. Active kids=happy kids=happy counselors.

• Don't forget those "in the middle," meaning this: There will always be, in any group of kids, ones who are more confident and more popular and, concurrently, there will always be the ones who tend to cause some trouble and require a bit more discipline. The problem is this: Those two groups can often dominate the attention of the young counselor, taking it away from the kids who may need attention the most. The kids in the middle. They are often left floating and somewhat unattended. But with some encouraging and positive attention from a good counselor, it's those kids who can flourish and grow the most over the course of the summer.

• "You can't fly with the owls at night and keep up with the eagles during the day." In other words, get your rest. Not too many late nights. Water up, eat smart and wear the hat and sunscreen. All that stuff helps you keep the energy required to be around the kids for extended periods.

• "Follow the Leader." Identify the leaders in your group, and then get them to work for you. Give them some responsibility and talk to them about how you need their help in making everyone in the group feel comfortable and accepted.

• "Don't snooze when you lose," (or "don't frown when down"). Many camp activities will include some kinds of competition, be it a simple game, a sport, or a contest. Here's the deal: Every camp counselor can by spirited and encouraging and upbeat when their team is winning. That is easy. But I always say the sign of a great counselor (or coach for that matter) is how they act when their team is losing. Do you sit and get quiet and stop coaching? Or, despite the frustration of falling way behind, do you still keep teaching, keep coaching and keep encouraging? The kids will always feed off your body language and energy (or lack thereof).

• "The Yes Sandwich," or the Oreo cookie approach. When talking to a child about a correction or problem, give a positive comment first, then the correction that needs to be made, and then finish with an encouraging word. Kids will be much more apt to accept and understand a correction or criticism if it is surrounded on both sides by a little bit of "feel good."

• "Share the ball." Sometimes counselors join in and compete in game play with the kids, which is fine. But be careful of your natural exuberance of competition, as sometimes counselors themselves start to dominate the ball and the game. Not good. Instead, understand that if you are playing with the kids, your primary objective is not to win the game or score the goal yourself, but instead to find ways to pass the ball and otherwise include the kids who need a little confidence and maybe have not gotten the ball as much.

• "I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand." In other words, be careful of talking too much. Visual demonstrations for learning are much more effective. Even better? Have the kids try it and do it - the only real way we learn.

• Praise loudly. Criticize quietly (and in private).

• For discipline problems, having the child sit out is the best punishment. Remove them from the activity. Keep them a distance from the group, and never sitting out with someone else. Always by themselves. Temporary isolation is often the toughest penalty for kids who sometimes improperly seek attention.

• "He who laughs, lasts." A sense of humor and having fun with the kids is always good. A win-win for sure, and a must for keeping mental sanity over the long summer.

• "Too long is wrong." A common mistake of the young counselor is to stay on an activity too long. This applies to reading a book, doing arts and crafts, working on a play or playing a game. It is better to cut it a bit short while interest and enthusiasm are still high than to let the game or activity linger, thus leaving a more negative aftertaste.

• Finally ... It is how you finish not how you start. Many counselors are top-notch the first week of camp. Still fresh, getting to know the kids is fun and the whole experience is still new and exciting. But the real test of the quality camp counselor is how fired up you are in those last couple weeks of a long summer. Can you still find ways to be enthusiastic and encouraging and spirited during week three or week five? Can you still give the kids your undivided attention, even when the days are long and the kids are getting tired too?

It's not easy, for sure, but crossing that finish line strong should be one of your goals.

Best of luck to all our summer staff - and the kids! May it be a fun and safe summer for all.

• Jon Cohn of Glenview is a coach, retired PE teacher, sports official and prep sports fan. To contact him with comments or story ideas, email jcsportsandtees@aol.com.