Working camp is always exhausting and exciting at the same time. Being in charge of 50 campers for 4 days can really take it's toll, especially when your sleeping in the dorm. The San Diego State camp went really well and had a great group of swimmers. A few with such enjoyment of the sport it almost (I said almost) made me want to get in and start training again. One camper who was only about 12 would ask these questions that were so intense. Multiple times I had to say I would get back to him because I just did not have the answer and needed to do some research. Also exciting to get to talk about college and just swimming at the different levels.
The campers at SDSU
Working camp at University of Oklahoma is always a bit more relaxed and then stressful at the same time. For starters I have to fly out a day before camp and of course had plane trouble. I plan to not fly for a while. I was supposed to arrive about midnight. Well in Dallas we got on the plane and started heading for the runway and I noticed a ton of smoke coming from the left engine. We just kept going and I was wondering if I was the only one noticing it. Till the 3 year old in front of me pointed it out to her mom and asked her to close the little shade cause she was scared. We started to pick up to speed only to have the pilot slam on the breaks. Then announce that the left engine would not start. A few things were running thought my mind.
A) It was smoking the second we pulled away from the gate- what the heck took you so long.
B) Again, it took you attempting to take off to see if it would just start up after not working for the last 15 minutes
C) Great how long is this gonna take.
Well needless to say we had to wait for a mechanic to come check it out. Guess the starter had just disintegrated. It costs us another hour and a half sitting at the gate on the plane. For a whole 30 minute ride into Oklahoma. So I arrived at a lovely 2:00 am.
Camp would start the next day and go pretty smooth. This camp is easier in the sense that we only serve them dinner, all the rest of the meals are eaten in the commons. While at the SDSU camp we feed them all 3 meals a day. So a lot of energy goes into that process of setting up, serving, and then cleaning up. Plus its just a bit odd to work a camp at OU since we do not live in Oklahoma. This being our second year it went was much smoother in terms of logistics and finding everything. What is not great about this camp is the weather. It is so hot and humid, you walk outside and just feel like passing out. The pool is inside which is different for us California people, especially since it has NO ventilation at all. Causing it to be an extremely stuffy and extremely hot, it was always at 90+ inside the facility. With that lovely chlorine smell.
So far in my last two years of camp at OU we always have some type of incident. Last year a girl cut her foot on the bottom of a door and had to go get it stitched back up. While I got stuck watching all the other campers. This year we had two things happen both times with the same kid who was 8. First we lost him. When I say that do not panic we found him. Turns out he thought we were leaving sooner then we did and headed downstairs. Where he then got distracted by a college friend of his. Not sure how an 8 year old has college friends, but that is what he said. So we decided the rest of the campers and counselors would proceed to the pool as schedule and I went into panic mode. Searching the dorm. Got his master key to his dorm room to see if he was in there. Then called the camp director who was at the pool who said he just walked into the pool area. So after looking like a complete idiot, no harm no foul. Right? However the next day would be a bit different. Some girls were holding a door closed and not allowing him to come in, so this 8 year old got flustered and well kicked the door. So hard that the shatter proof glass- well it shattered. Luckily it was the tempered kind so it did not fall out and hurt any of them. But he shattered a glass door!! Without any shoes on!! Thankfully he did not hurt his foot either. The women working the dorm said she has only seen it happen one other time in all her years of working at OU and that was when two football players were fighting and threw one into the door. And were talking Sooner football players. Luckily his parents were cool and are paying for the damage.
The campers at OU
Sitting in the stadium at OU
So I have survived another two weeks of swim camp. I learned some new things and most importantly shared a lot of information with excited campers. Plus it is always fun to see another university. Even though I had been to OU last summer, it was great to get back and see more of the university. As well as feel the sense of pride these people have in there association and the support of the athletic department.
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