We are always striving to GROW at Camp Foley.

Our mission for every camper is to grow, gain grit, investigate, and build independence. No where in that mission does it say we want campers to win or succeed. Now of course we want campers to accomplish goals and succeed throughout their time at Foley, but we also want to encourage the mindset that winning and succeeding are not always the most important aspects of life. Going back to our mission, more important than success is growing and gaining that grit!

We always aim for the bullseye, even if we don’t always hit it

What is grit?

It’s having the courage to take risks without fear of failure. That last part is the important bit, because failure is inevitable. Not every camper will get to the top of the climbing wall, or shoot a perfect bullseye in Rilfery, or make the perfect tie dye shirt in crafts, but campers with grit won’t be afraid to try! Check out this article from childmind.org discussing how parents can help their kids navigate failure. You can read the whole article here, but we wanted to show case some highlights…

Michael Jordan said it!

We love this quote from the article “That’s why Michael Jordan, one of the world’s greatest athletes, has spent years preaching the importance of losing. Jordan has spoken extensively about how perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges on and off the court are what have made him a winner.” During staff training, we talk directly to our staff about the importance of resilience and how we can empower campers. We set goals with each camper on the second night of camp and help them break that goal into achievable steps. We want campers to practice setting realistic goals. Staff are trained to check in with campers every few days to see what progress has been made. Progress and learning (growing!) are much more important than the actual completing of the goal.

Climbing to new heights! Even if we only make it halfway

Show Empathy

Empathy is a powerful tool that should be used whenever helping children through tough situations. We love this quote from the article, “You can explain that failure is a part of life and happens to everyone, even you. You could share examples of “failures” you’ve had. “Parents can model how to handle their own disappointment,” such as losing out on a promotion at work.” Modeling is a great way to normalize things kids often stress over, not reaching a goal being a big one. Our counselors are also taught to model behavior and try to truly understand where the child is coming from when they express fear or frustration at camp.

Campers growing grit at Riflery!

Take a step back

We realize this is the hardest thing for a parent to do, to step back allow their child the chance to fail or succeed from their own merit. Although this is the sure fire way to help a child start developing resilience and grit! One last quote from the article “Parents must stop hovering. Otherwise, they rob children of the very experiences that require problem-solving and set them on the path to resilience and the confidence to take on new challenges.” This is quite literally where summer camp comes in! Camp is the perfect place to give your child the space to fail and grow as people. Want to learn more about helping your child grow independence this summer? Check out our website!

Again, you can read the whole article here.