TOVO Tuesday 202

Summer Breeze

There’s nothing like summer.

Remember counting the final days of school? Remember when the books yielded to soccer balls and salty swims? Cousins, friends, and family. A barbecue or two.

For me, summer was an escape. I would pack up my duffle bag and head north. Summer was camp. Sports galore. Friends from towns far away. A pilgrimage of sorts where I matured without even a faint idea that a profound process was underway.

School was school. An obligation. Camp was camp. An opportunity.

I never thought I would come full circle and provide summer camps myself. Well, myself and an amazing group of mentors, educators, and coaches. But as I look upon it now, I realize that camp is far more than kicking a ball. Far more than Xs and Os. Far more than fitness.

“Football is nothing if it is not about relationships,” I often say. That is what summer camp is. It is learning and laughter. It is independence and engagement. It is a morning meal and a misty walk. It is a card game between training sessions and hide-and-seek afterwards.

It is an annual photo with the same friend you see each July in California. The same companion you see in New Jersey. Monterey and Princeton. Ice on the sore spots and ice cream afterward.

I’m not sure where I will see you.

I just know that when I do, it will be for all the right reasons.

Here’s to that summer breeze.