Bravery. At summer camp we are no strangers to conversations about bravery. As a live-action role-play summer camp, we probably have those conversations more than you might imagine.
You have to be brave to come to camp. After all, if you are a new camper, you are stepping completely out of your comfort zone and into a new environment. Sometimes with only a small handful of people you might know, and sometimes with none at all. That takes guts.
Children have these experiences a lot. First days of school, birthday parties, playdates, even going to the park! Many small children have mastered the art of new environments and receive significant praise for accomplishing these tasks. But, as our social awareness grows, these once simple situations become harder.
Behold the bravery of youth!
As we enter middle school and high school bravery takes on a new format: how we fit into social circles. The bravery we mastered as younger children can fully slip away in the face of being judged. Judged by peers we seek to connect with, judged by adults we wish to respected by, and judged by society at large for how we exist in the shared space. It is a new challenge, a fresh fear, a step we have to take, and we need bravery to do it.
But how do we gain bravery? Where do we gather our courage? How do we practice it? For those of us who work with youth daily, we know the answer sounds simple and is so much work: trust and a space to try. Think of any legend of a brave hero. They do not take action and manifest bravery in a vacuum. Wonder Woman had a magically protected island and learned from an entire tribe of Amazons before needing to be brave. Arthur had the magic of the greatest wizard in the world to help him before he had to take up the mantle of king. Any brave hero needs a foundation. They must have a space where they feel safe enough, and supported enough to try on bravery. That space can come from confidence in your skills, or encouragement from a friend, or being able to observe and model others. And at camp, especially LARP camp, those spaces are created every day.
Summer camp gives kids another chance to practice that bravery of trying something new just by showing up. Day one, there are so many firsts. Will they be brave enough to try a new food, make a new friend? Dance in front of their peers? Then at LARP camp where we control the story we can take it a step further. What about entering a dark dungeon and facing off against unknown foes alongside a crew of misfits? What about being the first to step up to the challenge of a villain who expects obedience? What about charging one foot in front of the other in the direction of the giant kraken instead of running away? Summer camp is a physical space to practice. Roleplay is a mental space to practice. It gives us the chance to practice bravery in a welcoming space where the dangers can be sidestepped at any time simply by asking to step out of the game.
We have a speech that has been delivered time and time again at camp. Chances are if you are a parent, you might have delivered this speech a few times yourself (perhaps with your child staring down a plate of broccoli, or in line for a roller coaster, or before their first sleepover without you). “It is okay to be scared. Being scared doesn’t mean that you aren’t brave. Bravery isn't the absence of fear, it is the willingness to confront it. Bravery comes from experiencing fear, and doing it anyway, so that next time you aren’t so afraid. Without fear, there can be no courage.”
What about the second half of the equation for bravery: trust? How do we build trust with a kid that has never met us before? As a camp program that watches over hundreds of youth every summer many of whom are neurodivergent or queer, we know that trust is sacred and it is earned. Before campers arrive, we hire to have 1:4 staff to camper ratio, we train year-round in how to best support all backgrounds of youth, and we go above and beyond camp licensing standards to feel confident in what we do. And then when our wonderful heroes arrive, we meet them where they are, we take time to connect and learn who they wish to be, and we reflect daily on our performance to make each day better than the last. We show these heroes that we are trustworthy with our actions. Then, and only then, where space and challenge collide with trust and support can our heroes step out into their own to be brave.
But there is one final step to bravery at camp. After the villains are defeated and evil is sealed away, we take off our cloaks, masks, and capes to reveal the best kept secret about our campers actions as heroes: that hero who accomplished so much and who proved their bravery was you. The hero was you all along. And suddenly that hero -- that camper -- realizes they can take the bravery of play and put it into practice.
Though we have full control over the story and game at camp, we know that we cannot control the world outside. So we prepare the next generation, give them a chance to practice where it is safe so their bravery can be accomplished where it matters most: this world we share.
To all our community -- in spite of all that this world can throw at us -- know you are loved.
Be brave, be bold, and be you.
Huzzah, heroes, huzzah!
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