Happy 2026

This edition of the blog is entry #199. I think its cool that a whimsical idea that came about in the office of Dave Grace would end up with so many stories taken from, or offshoots from A Hero's Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp. Turns out there are a lot of heroes out there with great stories, and people who like to read those stories. I'm looking toward entry 200 and beyond. 

In the process of writing the book I think Dave and I met four or five times. Those included a session in a glassed-in room in Dave's cabin overlooking his beloved OxBow Lake. We had epic-length discussions about the dreams of a high school teacher and the realities of running a Sports camp for 50 years. Another time we met at the Olympia Offices in Toronto, where I had a one on one, and interactive, Dave Talk for over three hours. It was an astounding opportunity to spend quality time with such a man. As I got up to leave I looked at him and said " You know Tuesdays With Morrie? I feel like our time together is like that. Maybe I should start a Blog and call it Tuesdays With Dave."

And here we are. 

A very cool process. Thanks for everything Dave.

That brings us to the brink of 2026.

Throughout my time in teaching and coaching I never really thought of January 1st as being as big a deal as September 1st. The beginning of the new school year is filled with lots of excitement and hope for what will take place this new year. I remember our first basketball game and I would wish the referees Happy New Year. Yes I always thought of the first of September being the start of a new year. 

But this new year feels different. Exactly the time we need people like Dave Grace, and places like Olympia Sports Camp.

2025 had a tremendous amount of personal highlights as Joy and I got to know beautiful Mia, our first grandchild and the daughter of Bryan Mayes and our dear Nicole, who, in the 18 months I've seen her as a mother, has become my hero. With all the is going on in the world, a circle of love and family is the focus. 2025 has also brought a physical challenge to me and I will be having surgery on my back in 2026. I'm glad as this will allow me to hang out with Mia more and also will give me a chance to visit camp next summer. Got to get in that first swim, or kayak to the cliffs. 7am start right Greg?

2025 also brought a sense of loss and a foreboding of what may be coming. Every year they do an "In Memoriam" on all the year-end reflections but this year there seemed to be an endless line of people in sports, arts, and public life who passed away. So many of the great athletes I grew up watching, some younger than me. I guess that is a factor in my own age but some of the deaths shake us to the core. AI is something the world will be figuring out how to use, but if the internet is a clue, the human race may not be equipped to use the tool for the common good, a thought that seems to be minimized in an era of profiteering and selfishness.

 It's ironic that we all went through a global pandemic together five years ago and the world has shown much more greed and illegal leadership since. As her grandfather, I will help Mia figure out her path, her journey, as she grows through the parenting of Bryan and Nicole.

In a world where the media and the government has been become so bought and paid for, at the human level the biggest loss may have been Rob Reiner and his wife Michele. I'm of a vintage that Rob's character in All in The Family was a salient example of the left vs the right, the young vs the old.  Its crazy to think that the uneducated, bigoted, Archie Bunker sounds a lot like many in places of leadership now. Mike and Archie would argue about politics and it was good to see Archie mellow as the series went along. Rob Reiner was brilliant in that show, a show that brought many fathers and sons together, or apart.

But it was Reiner's skill as a director that made him an icon of all that is good in the human spirit. From Stand By Me and When Harry Met Sally, to A few Good Men and Misery Rob brought us some of the greatest movies of a generation. 

This tragic loss is also a story of the importance of mental health, and that's the real sad part. Governments have belittled and lessened its responsibility to helping those who need help. They say there's not enough money. There just isn't enough support.

So where is this blog going? Mia is many years away from being an Olympia camper but I find myself reflecting on the value of the connection of summer camps and the importance of positive-minded people surrounding young people as they are beginning their journey. Our two kids grew up at Olympia and for that we owe Dave a debt of gratitude. So many stories in the book capture just that. The litany of people who have grown because of Olympia and say they owe so much to Olympia for what they have done with their adult lives is testament to the power of the message. We are indeed a hero in our own journey, but those positive influences around us help us grow through example and mentorship.  

There's a line that when a person says Happy New Year are they excited for the future or want to get rid of the past. The Hero's Journey teaches us that whatever challenges we face make us better. I hope this can be said with what we take on in 2026.

Good luck to Dave and Greg Rogers and everybody involved in Olympia 2026. Here we Goooooo!!

Like this story? Please share it and comments are appreciated. Thanks in advance. 

The Summer of 2026 is open for business. A camp that builds lives. A week that builds memories. 

Have an idea or direction for a blog entry? Email me at coachdools71@gmail.com and lets talk possibilities. 

A Hero’s Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp chronicles the people that make up the history of Olympia, but it does far more than that. It serves as an inspirational guidebook for readers to become the hero of their own path. In order to do this the book examines the history of the land on which the camp has been built, from its indigenous origins to the European settlement process of the 1800’s. and the use of the land by the Royal Norwegian Air Force during WWll. The book is built on a collection of stories related to mentorship, sports psychology, and community building. This book honours the 50-year history of the camp while giving us all a window into seeing a deeper level of understanding of the world and our place in it.

Books Available at: 

-  Tuck and Pro at Olympia ( ask about the coach's deal)

 - Amazon and Indigo.ca

-  Indigo, Burlington Brant Street location.

- The Different Drummer Book Store on Locust Street in Burlington\

- Cedar Canoe Books on Main St in Huntsville

- Etransfer me $30 and I'll drive it to your house ! 

- available online at aherosjourney.ca

- audiobook version is available at Audible, Amazon, and iTunes 

If you would like us to come to your town for a book event or get copies into your favourite bookstore , email me at coachdools71@gmail.com. We travel well.