Friends and Memories of Home

 

The publishing part of my journey of writing “A Hero’s Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp“ took me to Olympia for an awesome 24 hours that included dear Olympia friends, the return home, and the memories of a very special place.

 

In searching for 12 pictures to be on the first page of each chapter in the book, I decided to go to the source, and, with the help and support of Greg Rogers and Dave Grace, my mission was to go through four milk cartons of pictures. I found about 30 to pick from but to be honest, every picture could be in a book. They all capture the essence of Olympia. Along this journey to Interlaken I was fortunate to have a great day, as well as getting a key component to the final manuscript.

 

On the way up I was lucky to play golf with three of the greatest friends. Bill Pangos, Rich MacPherson, Norm Pfenning and I have shared many an agenda over the years through our involvement in basketball and we also had many years of shared coaching at Olympia. Not being able to see each other as often as we’d like, the time and distance dissipated, and it felt like we saw each other last week. That’s what happens with Olympia relationships.

 

When I got to camp, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of being home. Seeing Dave was like seeing an uncle I haven’t seen in a long time, even though the book writing has us talking on the phone a lot. The staff was like so many staffs I’ve seen over the years. They were awesome, enthusiastic leaders who were being given a chance to lead, rather than just  follow directions. The empowerment I sense in their carrying out of programming is cool to see. Getting a chance to see Bruce is also always special.

 

The memories came flooding back, and each memory had a trigger. Walking across the field from C5 I couldn’t believe the copious amount of goose shit and thought back to one year when football coach Jamie Bone was chasing geese off the football field with an umbrella, opening and closing it like out of Mary Poppins. By the way I counted 42 geese.

 

I met a leadership coach Mike Masci (Mikey Mic the DJ)  who told me that Greg Rogers had brought his grade 9 class to camp for an orientation and he loved it so much that he is still coming, 30 years later! To make it even more poignant Mike always was in C3 but when he got to camp it was already taken. As soon as those people left, he asked the office if he could switch over to C3. That was his home! Of course, I told him that no, it was my home, for 15 years of week 9.

 

I went for the obligatory first swim. They have a thermometer on the steps now and the water was a balmy 62 degrees but I went in anyway. It doesn’t qualify as a trip to Olympia if it doesn’t include a dip in Oxbow Lake.

 


After Friday fish and chips dinner (the new chef is awesome) I went upstairs to the coach’s lounge and that’s where the memories rushed back. The pictures on the wall of the Norwegians was what I was after but this one caught my eye and brought back the faces of some really great people at Olympia, and how lucky I have been to meet such people and then get to write about them. To share part of their journey.




 

The camp itself has a lot of great additions and improvements. Wait till you see the A Frame dock! The Box is getting a major makeover. It was always a place where I felt guilty dropping off my daughter Nicole to live in such a place for nine weeks for three summers, but now it looks great. The fitness room in the gym is being moved to the lower level where the sliding doors will allow for a way to work out outside. The coach’s cabins have new bathroom vanities, ceramic floors and ventilation systems. I’ve always been amazed by Dave adding to the camp over the years.

 

Talking with Greg and Dave they are already thinking about next year’s May long weekend when the camp will celebrate its 50th anniversary. I’m excited to have this book be a part of the Olympia culture and legacy as it reflects back on the journey of 50 years. The Hero's Journey. 

 

HELP WANTED  

 

It felt so good to get to camp, however briefly, and spending time with Dave is always a priceless experience. The vibe of Olympia is definitely alive. The sense that camp is returning after two years makes me happy for Dave and all the staff who are preparing for the summer, but the reality is that the numbers are below normal for this time of year. The return to ‘normal’ is slow and Olympia needs a push. I always think of what Olympia did for my two kids and how the impact of an Olympia experience is needed for young kids now more than ever. Spread the word at your school, your contact list, or with your teams or local club. Think of the young person who may be impacted by a summer at Olympia like you were. The website is olympiasportscamp.com

 

The link to the blog is TuesdayswithDave.blogspot.com

This blog is about the journey of the writing of the book A Hero's Journey: From Little Norway to Olympia Sports Camp. The blog will contain excerpts from the book and my personal thoughts on what the place and the people that make up Olympia's journey is all about. The title comes from the great book Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom. The blog's title is recognizing Dave Grace as Camp Director, but all content is my own.

Comments

  1. Greg RogersJune 14, 2022 at 9:07 AM

    Another great story Chris! Thanks for your visit. There will be a few laughs in the coaches lounge about the photo you chose to feature in this blog.

    ReplyDelete

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