One of the many wonderful things about camp that parents often cite is the device-free time their boys get to experience. Whether a camper is signed up for one session or the full 7 weeks, it is nearly impossible to overstate the benefit to boys’ minds and bodies when they play outdoors, interact with peers, and re-learn how to entertain themselves.
Owego’s SFA period, which takes place after dinner and before evening activity, is a return to a simpler time in boyhood. SFA stands for “Supervised Free Activity,” and is the modern-day equivalent of going outside after dinner and playing in the yard with the neighborhood kids. Counselors are assigned to an area of camp, like the Junior Gathering Deck, HBC, or Lower Field, and campers are free to roam in pursuit of something fun to occupy their time.
On any given night in Pioneer Village, you will find campers playing Ping-Pong, Knock Hockey, and KanJam. You’ll see some boys playing Magic the Gathering on the amphitheater steps by the lake, some hanging out with the counselors and eagerly listening to stories of summers past, and even some digging in the dirt for worms to procure for the next fishing period.
Yes, your child may very well be digging in the dirt.
One of the most delightfully shocking things I ever saw at camp was my own suburban child, then 7 or 8 years old, elbow-deep in the mud. I didn’t say anything, but rather kept on walking and thinking to myself how grateful I was for my son to have the opportunity to be so unabashedly messy. Without the option of picking up a phone or iPad, or turning on the TV, our boys are rediscovering a version of boyhood that revolves around relationships and imagination. And that is so very crucial in this technology-obsessed world in which we’re raising them.
Camp is a place for boys to be authentic, uninhibited, and messy. Walking around Owego, especially during SFA, feels like some version of utopia. Ping-Pong balls are being volleyed back and forth, boys are running here and there, and music is blasting from the speakers on the porch of Crockett. But if you take a closer look, you’ll see that something far more impactful is taking place. Campers are negotiating with one another over game rules, resolving conflict, and learning to compromise. This is where the real meaning of boyhood emerges, and what really makes the Owego experience so priceless.
