Camp is one
week away! I am very excited for the day that all of my hard work Googling and
Pinterest-ing comes to fruition. As for this week, we have been finalizing our
activities for each day during camp. We have taken a new direction with the camp
this year; rather than focus only on the opportunities Memphis has to offer for
our athletes, we have decided to educate them on the World around them. By
picking 5 countries, we have isolated different areas of the world to study and
most importantly explore. However, since Memphis is the only city many of our
athletes will experience in their lives, we have planned for a few field trips
to explore and connect with the community. In my experience with the camp last
year as a counselor, I remember being worried that the workers at our field
trip sites would not interact well with the athletes. Many people have the
tendency to treat our athletes as children during their first interactions, and
it becomes frustrating for many of them—especially those with only physical
disabilities. Despite this fear, I think it is important not only for our
athletes to experience new places, but for the Memphis community to interact
with the population SO Memphis serves in equalizing planes. We are just another
tourist group.
On Thursday, we had our first
volunteer meeting at the Mellow Mushroom. I was so glad to finally have the
opportunity to meet the people I would be working with to make the upcoming
week spectacular. We have about 30 athletes attending the camp and 16
counselors. I believe I am the only one currently in college; we have recruited
our volunteers from local high schools in the area. Some of our volunteers are
as young as 10! It may seem unusual to give such responsibility to a person so
young, but I have noticed in SO that families are the only thing keeping our
programs going. Many of the volunteers have family members registered with SO
and thus have years of experience interacting with the athletes that proves to
be invaluable. As a relative late-comer to the organization (I only began
working with SO when I came to Rhodes), I have a certain disadvantage when it
comes to relationships. I have a ton of names to learn, but more importantly, a
ton of relationships to build. I couldn’t be more excited though! The
volunteers are great: creative, full of energy, and ready to roll. All that
stands between me and camp is a little scheduling and shopping!
You are going to love camp! All of the planning really pays off, and my campers liked my Pinterest crafts way more than I thought they would. You will get to know some of the athletes personally, but I have also found it rewarding to get to know the volunteers. You learn to depend on each other and help each other out during camp, and that creates a great experience for everyone. The field trips sound really interesting, I would like to know which ones you end up choosing!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are going to have a fantastic week of camp, Tori! Your insight about the way community members respond to SO campers was very interesting. The stigma that people with special needs are incapable is not only frustrating for the campers who want responsibility and independence, but also for the campers' counselors and loved ones who want to see them treated fairly. You are right, folks in the community benefit from interacting with your campers just as people with disabilities gain so much by experiencing the world around them. I can't wait to hear all about your camp experiences and the relationships you build with counselors, campers, and their families.
ReplyDelete