Camp Report - Day One

Early on Monday morning, the Marauder Varsity boarded their second shiny new school bus in three days and headed up Rt. 89 to the outskirts of Northfield, and the Windridge Tennis and Sports Camp at Teela-Wooket.  We have been coming here for a preseason overnight trip for seven years, and it continues to be a highlight for us.  We arrived in time to move into our cosy cabins, and then after an ample warmup we took the field to play Burr and Burton Academy from Manchester, VT.  We've played them in preseason before, and knew that we could expect a very competitive game.  After missing several early scoring opportunities we took an early lead on a goal by Casey Starr.  B&B answered with three goals, owing to some uncharacteristic sloppiness in our defensive end.  Sam Strohbehn buried a nice free kick late in the game to pull one goal back, but we went down 3-2.

By now, two other high schools, Essex and Rice, both Vermont superpowers, had arrived, and all four teams crowded into the dining hall for lunch.  We had options:  tacos, corn dogs, salad bar and a well-stocked sandwich bar.  Everyone ate quickly, and Rice headed to the field to engage Burr & Burton, while we had several hours to relax.  On a hot day, we would have headed to the swimming pool, which has been a welcome relief from the August heat.  Today was cool and cloudy, and we confined ourselves to the volleyball court, basketball court, and the octagonal court constructed for Ga-Ga, a Camp Coniston favorite. Hans Williams ruled the day!  Soon it was 3:00, and time to warm up for our second match of the day against Essex.

This time, we wasted little time falling behind 1-0, as a foul outside the penalty area gave the Hornets a free kick,  which snuck under Patrick Logan, changing the tenor of the game.  Our starting group wasn't getting much done, and after 15 minutes we put 10 new players on the pitch.  This crew worked hard against an experienced Essex squad, but late in the half one sub-par defensive play allowed them a centering pass, and a bit of bad marking left a charging Essex striker plenty of time to double the lead.

We started the second half with a resolve to do better, and nearly scored when Casey Starr's shot off of a centering pass was well-saved by the keeper.  The rest of the half was an improvement, but the best we could do was a scoreless draw in the second half, and we had our second loss of the day.  We'll try to learn from both of these disappointing results, and we have two great opportunities tomorrow. We'll play Rice, the defending Division One champions, after breakfast on Tuesday, and the head for home.  After a brief break, we'll head to Lebanon and play our our neighbors and friends at 4:00.

We had a sumptuous pasta supper, and then circled up for a team meeting that has always been an invaluable part of our bonding process.  We watched the first half of our Oyster River scrimmage on the big screen in the darkened dining hall, and then headed to the campfire circle outside of our cabins.  Sam Strohbehn helped kindle a campfire, and the team settled down for s'mores while I headed back into the dining hall (with its wi-fi) to write this blog entry. Walking in the dark over familiar pathways, my gaze naturally headed to the heavens.  The waning gibbous moon had not yet arisen, and the stars were spectacular in a location with no light pollution and a crystalline atmosphere scrubbed of moisture by a gusty northwest breeze.  I looked east and saw the diamond of bright stars, forming the Great Square of Pegasus.  Looking south-southwest, Mars was shining above its bright rival Antares, and below Saturn.  This trio outshone the three vertical stars to their right, forming the head and shoulders of the Scorpion.   Overhead, I could make out the seven sisters, or the Pleiades.  The Milky Way was as vivid as I have seen all summer, more so than on the night 10 days ago when I camped out at Fullington Farm at 1:00 a.m. to watch the Persied meteor shower.  I learned all of these constellations and many more during many summers of camp, and for me coming back here gives me a chance to get in touch with the child-like sense of wonder and awe that grounds me in many good ways.  Preseason wins and losses don't seem very important right now.

I will leave the boys along at their campfire for the rest of the night.  They are smart and sensible, and  they have identified this time to bond with each other as a crucial part of the team building process.  Tomorrow it's back to screen time, but tonight it's just wood smoke and stars and a chilly night to drive them deep into their sleeping bags.  Goodnight!