The Kids Kayaking Camp Turns 20 Something!

Twenty plus years of inner city kids kayaking camps, and they keep getting better. Each year I think,” it can’t be better than this and can we pull this off again next year?” The answer is YES! Though I will be completely honest and say I ruminate like crazy about how each day will go before it starts. Have we forgotten anything, do we have enough gear and the right gear, will everyone have fun? Will everyone be safe? What are the water levels? Will we have thunder storms? What ends up being important is attitude, excitement for teaching, and showing these kids what they are capable of when they try something that pushes them out of their comfort zone like kayaking. With a dedicated group of instructors and volunteers, we always figure out how to make this camp happen and be a fun and worthwhile experience for everyone involved.

This year, we had plenty of positive vibes. Even though we had fewer instructors, that did not make a difference – we had plenty of extra volunteers to help. With Sean Coffey a teacher/paddler from St. Joseph’s in Yonkers who is responsible for connecting us with Green Chimneys, the host school, and students we now work with post-Covid – and the Jackson family, this year Emily, EJ, KC, and Kristine, we had a fun and busy week with our 12 kayak students.

We had 7 returning students and 5 new students and just the right amount of water to make the river runs fun and exciting. Andy Kuhlberg and Julia Rogers joined us for the last two days and Paula Saaf and Melanie helped on the last day! We couldn’t have had a better group.
In our crew of students were 4 year veteran Brendan, as well as Alex, Emrod, Michelle, and Finn who have come for three camps, followed by Luke and Noah, who have been with us for the last two years. Our new students were George, Sapphire, Zach, John, and Keith. Nerves of all students on day 1 soon yielded to fun and play in the pool with many wet exits getting everyone’s jitters out of the way.

Keith who doesn’t swim and had a near drowning experience early in her life enjoyed her first wet exit after some float and swim practice. She was determined to learn and try everything we were teaching even though it was pushing her way out of her comfort zone. The enthusiasm for everything we did each day kept the energy, fun factor and sense of accomplishment high throughout the week.

When we got to graduation day, none of the students could believe the progress they had made from the pool to the river and their ability to paddle through rapids and even roll a kayak. And no one was ready for the week to end! Neither instructors, volunteers or students wanted it to say good bye! Thanks again to everyone who helps make this camp possible, we couldn’t do it without you! We are looking forward to next year already!