As a camp director, I find myself replaying conversations I had with so many of you in the off-season. I remember the stories you shared about your hopes for your child - that they would learn to make friends, get off their phones or grow in confidence…just to name a few. Today was one of those days when I could feel you smiling. As I walked around camp today watching our cabin groups, I could feel you cheering us on from home!

One of the greatest gifts of camp is finding your people. The friends who cheer for you no matter what. The ones who always have your back. They know you, they love you, and they are proud of you. After six days together, I saw those true friendships on display everywhere I looked at Highlander.

Today at rest hour we had 4 teams competing in our HBA (Highlander Basketball Association) games. The sidelines were packed with cheering sections, encouraging signs and devoted fans. Campers celebrated great plays, encouraged teammates after missed shots, and supported their friends from the opening whistle to the final buzzer. The score was secondary to the fan clubs, which means everyone is a winner!

Tonight’s Talent Show brought more fans to our club. As campers and cabins took the stage to perform dances, songs, skits and solo acts, the crowd responded with enthusiastic applause, laughter, and encouragement. Every performance had campers and staff in the audience rooting for them, believing in them, and celebrating them simply for having the courage to get up there.

As I watched throughout the day, I realized that camp is one big fan club. We sit in the stands to watch basketball games. We wait patiently to see your solo performance. We cheer when you succeed and encourage you when things don’t go as planned. We aren’t fair weather fans at Highlander. It isn’t about winning or losing, or being the best player, the funniest performer, or the most talented person in the room. It’s about being a good friend.

In a world that can sometimes feel focused on results and achievements, camp remains a place where young people learn the power of showing up. They learn that friendship isn’t just about spending time together—it’s about celebrating each other, encouraging your friends to try again, and being their biggest fan.

Fans at camp help young people become more confident, more courageous, and more willing to try new things. When you know someone is in your corner, it’s a lot easier to step outside your comfort zone, find your silly and be the best you.

All the cheering, encouragement, and support I witnessed on camp today left my heart full. The activities were fun, the talents were impressive, and the performances were entertaining—but the friendships…they were the true star of the show.

Thank you for sharing your children with us. Thank you for cheering us on from home. We couldn’t do this without you!

Favorite Details of the Day:

• Weather: We were blessed with another beautiful day of sunshine. After a big rain last night, it was cooler this morning but humid for most of the day. We were grateful for no rain so we could have our talent show outside under the lights of the Assembly Court.
• Meals: For breakfast we had cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs, bacon, grits, oatmeal and a fresh fruit bar. For lunch we had chicken quesadillas, homemade guacamole and chips, a salad bar and a sandwich bar. Dinner was everyone’s favorite…Papa John’s Pizza! For dessert, we had Gus’s after Camper’s Choice Sign Ups.
• EP: TALENT SHOW!
• Special Shoutout: I want to give a special shout out to Cabin 30. They had their rafting trip today and got stuck in dead stop traffic for an hour due to a fallen tree. The raft guides told us that these boys had the best attitude. They had a blast on the river and never stopped laughing! Even after a long exhausting day, they were still cracking each other up as they sat alone in the dining hall eating their pizza. Talk about fans…these guys are devoted friends to their cabinmates. They didn’t care where they were, what they were doing, what they might miss at camp…they had each other and that was the best entertainment and fun they could ask for! We love you Cabin 30…and we love our raft guides!