Sports campers and coaches had the awesome opportunity to meet with nationally recognized Master Coach Rick Jacobs this morning. Before the start of the camp day, Rick met with all Sports Camp coaches to talk about leadership strategies to help campers grow at ESF Greenwich. Rick explained that it is our obligation in Sports Camp to expose young athletes to a range of sports, but we must never forget that our mission is to develop “character muscles” first. In the same way that athletes exercise in a gym to build physical strength, campers and coaches build character muscles by acknowledging the 8 ESF Virtues (ESFV’s) and incorporate them into the every day camp experience. As Rick said, a good coach “identifies teachable moments that can become reachable moments, and uses sports as a conduit to reinforce good values, because that is the essence of Sports Camp.”

In the morning, Sports campers in all leagues got to hear a pep talk from Rick and talk with him about how to strengthen their character muscles. He reminded campers that, while we want to have fun, incorporating the 8 ESFV’s (gratitude, respect, kindness, positivity, trustworthiness, effort, resiliency and community) into practice and play is how we can effectively move forward as a team. Rick explained that we show respect for teammates and opponents through great sportsmanship, and he encouraged campers to reflect on the difference between effort and skill. As he said, even players with more advanced skills have to give effort to show sportsmanship and to build character muscles. This is why, while we congratulate campers who demonstrate great athletic talent, we also must celebrate campers who are great teammates.

After a motivational morning, campers took to the fields for games of football and soccer, remembering to show gratitude for fellow campers, coaches and another great day at camp.