It is unbelievable to search throughout every pocket of the Internet and not see anything about YMCA Day Camp in Newark, Ohio. Sure, you could sign up for summer camp nearly anywhere in the country – but there was something incredibly special about the era of early 2000’s YMCA Summer Camp.
Any successful endeavor starts from the top down with leadership. Leaders like Nancy Davenport, Anthony Wedemeyer, John Finney and Adam Britton were generational talents. Keep in mind this tale will be told from the perspective of a youngster – where all life experiences seem to carry greater impact. Above all else, for those who spent any time at the YMCA Day Camp in the 2000’s this article is for you.
Attending this Summer Camp provided numerous opportunities for the youth. If you were fortunate enough to have parents who could afford specialty camps – there were all kinds of options. Most of the time these camps had to do with some sort of recreational activity that involves physical, mental or emotional stimulation.
Opening Circle took place at 9 AM every day. At Opening Circle we would sing camp songs, receive announcements and perhaps witness a comedy skit. The rituals and structures put into place by these young professionals caused the whole operation to move like a well-oiled machine.
Now quickly – let’s go into the mind of Counselor Adam Britton. This man was an animal – one of my first times seeing a gifted athlete in such a raw style of competition. Adam thought it necessary to compete. Period. Before Opening Circle began – he rifled through nearly 3 shirts due to them being drenched with sweat. Seeing is believing and I could not believe what I was seeing day in and day out from the likes of this man and many other men who would give it everything they got every single day.
Last time I heard – Adam Britton was a teacher in the Licking Valley School District. Regardless, nothing could replace the lessons learned from witnessing this man put his body on the line each and every day to ensure his team got the victory.
Not the tallest nor the biggest – Britton still proved to be the strongest athlete in any scenario. What he lacked in height he made up for with leaping ability. What he lacked in size he made up for with quickness and footwork. Fundamentally sound individual on and off the competitive arena.
Nancy Davenport was the Director and the three headed monster she assigned to lead the camp were Britton, Finney and Wedemeyer. Each one of these guys shared one thing in common: an undying passion for AC/DC and Ohio State Football. If those two things don’t tell you that we were in good hands – then I don’t know what will.
If you enjoyed going down this reminiscent rabbithole with me – then make sure you return to the website next week for the second edition of this series where we detail some great matchups in Adamball/Prisonball, take a trip to the Shrek bridge and discover how to make the Wall of Fame.
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