It all started not with a bang, not with a flash of light, but with…a hissy fit.

Campers gathered for lineup as usual this morning, rubbing the sleep from their eyes and wondering if breakfast would be bagels or waffles (spoiler alert: it was waffles). After the Owego sports report, Scotty stepped up to deliver his daily rundown of fascinating facts. As he wrapped up, the campers joined in a chorus of “Who cares?”

Lest you think to yourself, “How rude!” you can rest assured that Scotty is in on this joke and it is more of a daily ritual than an insult. But today was different. Something inside of Scotty snapped. He began to chastise the campers, pleading with them to “Knock it off” and telling them “Enough is enough.” As he ranted and raved how his hurt feelings were beginning to bubble over, a sly smile began to cross his lips.

“Olympics time!” the master thespian shouted.

Throngs of Juniors took off for the lower field, with Seniors and Hi-Seniors close behind. Scattered across the ground were plastic bags of Olympics shirts, with each camper’s name printed on a label. The goal? To find your name, put on your shirt, and join your team. Clusters of color began to form. Red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, and purple. One team at a time, Dave announced the country and held up the corresponding flag. Next he named the Captain(s) from the very deserving pool of 11th graders. PV (Pioneer Village) captains came next. There were hugs, high fives, and lots of body bumps! The Lead Captain reached into Dave’s envelope and chose his team’s Head Coach, whose selection was met with much fanfare. Once the leadership for that team was complete, Dave moved on to the next country. Red Bangladesh was announced first, followed by Light Blue Azerbaijan (a country whose name all campers should be able to spell by the conclusion of Olympics), Green Nigeria, Orange Armenia, Purple Ethiopia, and Yellow Myanmar.

And that was all before breakfast!!! Everyone enjoyed the waffles, by the way.

Following inspection, teams gathered on the upper field for “Bull Rush,” which is a slightly more intense version of Sharks and Minnows (or, as some of us know it, Fishy Fishy Swim Through My Sea). Flag belts went flying, but many campers managed to outrun the counselors and make it to the other side of the field. However many flag belts remained intact was the point total for that country. The winners determined the order in which each country chose its meeting place for the duration of Olympics.

Following lunch and rest hour, countries split up into age groups for various games. Juniors played newcomb, kickball, or soccer, while Seniors and Hi-Seniors played Bombardment, ultimate frisbee, basketball, or water polo. Everyone came together during 6th period for rec swim, which was a welcome break from the day’s heat and humidity!

Tonight’s Evening Activity will consist of more Olympics competition. The next two days will be filled with individual events, team competitions, camper AND counselor triathlons, and so much more! The action is well underway, and all of Owego is pulsating with excitement.