What's Happening at Camp: Olympics!

What a week at Sewataro! We barely escaped the hailstorm on Tuesday afternoon by loading our buses in advance and hastening the departure process. We also got most of the Parent Driver campers loaded as well with only a few needing to dodge raindrops and hail and avoid the torrent of water running down the camp road. Whew!

The Sewataro Olympics, a journey of athletic prowess, mind, and spirit, was launched on Tuesday morning with our opening ceremony. The Greeks believed that athletic competition featured two elements: aethlos, the nobility of the contest or struggle in itself, and arête, the skill or excellence that wins the prize. While competition is generally de-emphasized at Sewataro, we see value in these ideals and embrace our own version of the Greek model during our Olympic week. Our Olympic Captains triumphantly paraded past cheering campers and lit the Olympic Torch. Then Jen Barsamia, diva extraordinaire, regaled us with the Sewataro Anthem. The three colors this year, as you surely already know, are Magenta, Black, and Silver.

Wednesday began the actual competitions with an over(-the-head)/under(-the-legs) water bucket relay for counselors. Never have we heard so much cheering at a Sewataro event as the campers were fully committed to their colors and let their counselors know about it. The first color to fill their pail with water was the Magenta (100 points) followed closely thereafter by Silver (75) and Black (50). In addition to daily counselor competitions, points are accumulated all week for inter-tribe competitions in soccer, street hockey, kickball, races, basketball, capture the flag, and softball. In all competitions, points are awarded both for outcomes and for spirit (i.e. good sportsmanship, teamwork, and lightheartedness). And, since there are no losers at Sewataro, points are given to both winners and runners-up.

Here are some of the inter-tribe games we’ve seen. On Wednesday morning the Ponca (Black) and the Pima (Silver) squared off in a Leap Frog Relay Race. The Ponca boys were just too quick off the mark for their opponents and were never able to be caught despite the Pima’s persistent pursuit. At the end, the tribes cheered for and congratulated each other. The same Sewataro Spirit was shown by the Pawnee and the Pueblo as they played to a 2-2 tie in Street Hockey. The teams lined up for the traditional hockey shaking of hands after the match.

Going into Thursday morning’s counselor basketball competition, the Magenta was in the lead followed closely by the Silver and the Black. And it certainly looked like that advantage would increase as the Magenta team jumped out to a 4-1-1 lead over their two opponents in a three-way contest, with the team scoring a basket staying on the court while the other team is replaced by the one on the sidelines. But a dramatic reversal occurred when the Silver’s Emma put defensive pressure on the other colors. With Mikey handling the ball and Alex taking over the scoring, the Silver spurted to a game winning 5 baskets before Magenta could score again.

On Thursday, the Eagle section, led by Colleen Sullivan and Ken O’Reagan, set off by bus for the Charles River boathouse and a day on the water. With sparkling weather, the downstream canoe trip to the playground in Newton went rather quickly, with campers staying in relatively tight formation. After a picnic lunch and land games, the canoes were launched for the return journey. Stronger paddlers helped those tiring, and all campers made good use of the skills and strokes learned at Boating, returning to camp safe and a bit tired but not spent.

Meanwhile, our CIT’s enjoyed a splendid day of hiking up and down Mt. Wachusetts, returning in time for Closing Exercises, games, and swimming before their cookout and Overnight. All that exercise during the day was the perfect preparation for a good night’s sleep under the moon and stars.

Friday’s counselor event was a three-way tug-of-war. It was an epic struggle with the campers cheering wildly for their colors and in awe of the mighty effort their counselors were exerting. Again, as in the other events, what seemed a certain outcome was not to be. Silver’s anchor, Max, was stretching mightily to knock off the ball from his cone when his feet went from under him and he and others went to the ground, allowing the rhythmic pulling of Black and their anchor, Dan, to reach out and knock off his rhino ball. The validity of Black’s victory, after being reviewed by the judges, was upheld, and Black was awarded 100 points with each of the other teams receiving 50.

As we went to press, Magenta was still in the lead, but the contest remained extremely close. Today’s competitions pitting the Blackfeet against the Choctaw (Street Hockey), the Nipmuc against the Erie (Kickball), the Chinook vs. Senior Camp (Street Hockey), the Cayuga vs. the Seminole (Kickball), and the Chickasaw vs. the Potawatomi (Capture the Flag) will have a determining effect on the final outcome.

To all the campers and parents whose last day is Friday, we bid fond adieus and strong invitations to rejoin the Sewataro community again next year. For those of you staying on, the last two weeks are going to be dynamite.