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 Each
year, we invite a few of our top promo team members to join us for a
couple days as we visit YMCA Camp Grady Spruce to teach campers how to
barefoot waterski. It's become an event we look forward to each
year and one we donate our time and effort to in order to help the camp
improve their watersports program year over year.
2011 marks our 7th straight year of
visiting Camp Grady. I started sending my daughter Kathryn to the
camp in 2009 when she was 7, and ever since, she looks forward to going back
each year.
This year, as an extra treat for working so hard on her barefoot
waterskiing, we added an extra week to her trip. So instead of one
week at Camp Grady, she was going for two. Was she ever excited.
This year, we invited Australian
Freestyle Barefooter Brendan Paige along with us. Brendan is with
us all summer as he trains for the
BFC Freestyle Challenge and hones his 3-event skills. When we
told Brendan about the camp he couldn't wait to go. Also, coming
along with us this year was Jim Gullo. Jim is one of the two
skiers selected to our summer intern
program.
 Our
trip to Camp Grady would take us from Katy, Texas (just outside of
Houston), approximately 250 miles Northwest to Possum Kingdom Lake.
PK is about 2 hours west of Dallas and is a very popular weekend ski
resort lake. The YMCA owns approximately 350 acres of land around
the lake. The camp is divided into three camps
(Main Camp-boys 7-12, Ray Bean-girls 7-12 and Frontier Camp-co-ed
13-16). Frontier Camp is for older kids and is a bit more rugged
than Main Camp being that the kids sleep outside in screened in tents
without air conditioning. Camp Grady has camping programs that run
year-round. They have a program to fit everyone in the family.
For more information, visit
www.campgradyspruce.org
On our way to Possum Kingdom from
Houston, we made sure to stop at some of our favorite barbeque joints so
Brendan and Jim could taste some great Texas barbeque. We were
amazed at how fast some of the towns have grown along the way.
We arrived at the camp around 3:30pm
on Thursday evening. Mike "Marv" Bateman had us all set up with
accommodations, snacks and drinks. Plans were to be over to the
camp at 4:30 to teach our first group of campers and then put on our
first of two barefoot ski shows for the campers. So we took a
quick nap and enjoyed some air conditioning. The weather outside
was sunny with temps over 100 degrees, so we wanted to take advantage of
whatever air conditioning we could get.
Early each morning, we'll take a group
of camp councilors out to teach them and show them the latest teaching
techniques. After breakfast we take out groups two groups of 5
kids each for a couple hours, return to dock and pick up 5 more.
It's a long day in the sun, but seeing the excitement on all the kids
faces as they learn something new makes the time go fast.
Each year we
perform a barefoot ski show for the kids. And each year, just like
clockwork, the winds start blowing right before the show. All the
footers that come with me all talk about the really cool tricks they
plan to do for the kids, then they see the water. Of course Mike
and I just keep telling them the water will be much better come show
time. Once the show starts we forget all about the water
conditions and do our best to entertain the kids cheering for
us on the shoreline.
The goal of the day is to give
the campers a fun experience of barefoot waterskiing. Many
campers are first timers and have never even seen barefoot skiing,
so we make sure to walk them through the basics on dry land before
taking to the water. If the success of the program is measured
by the number of smiles and screams of excitement, I'd say we have
quite a successful program. It's always fun to watch the
facial expressions of the kids as they accomplish something so
exciting for the first time and to watch as their fellow campers
cheer them on in the boat. If you're a parent looking for a summer camp to send
your kids, be sure to check out YMCA Camp Grady Spruce. You're
kids will make friends that'll last a lifetime.
www.campgradyspruce.org
 Our last stop
before leaving Camp Grady was to pick up Kathryn. She didn't
want to go. They were in the middle of a fun performing
activity. She talked our ears off about how she got to ride
horses, learn to sale a boat, swim, ski, hike, and more, and she's
already got plans for returning next Summer. Thanks Camp Grady!
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PICTURES *
PICTURES * PICTURES
All the pictures from our
2011 Trip
CLICK HERE
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When
considering summer camps for your kids,
be sure to check out YMCA Camp Grady Spruce
Click Here
Chuck Gleason
Team BarefootCentral.com
Thanks again to Brendan Paige, Jim
Gullo, Mike "Marv" Bateman, and the
entire Camp Grady staff for making this trip a success.
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