Hey, Hornists!

Some folks are naturally drawn to percussion while others are drawn to strings. Some people are gifted with a wonderful voice. And others are born to play the horn! Learning an instrument is hard work, but some instruments can be tougher to learn than others. Playing a horn requires a muscle that most folks don’t use regularly. Horns require long hours of daily practice and building lung power.

There are many different kinds of horns you can choose to pick up. Whatever feels most like your style is the right pick! There’s the trumpet, the trombone, the French horn, the tuba, the saxophone, the baritone, the cornet, and even more. But for each one, there are four critical things that great horn players have that you need to develop and practice.

Going the Distance
If you’re going to play a horn instrument, you gotta have strength and endurance. How do you develop that? Mouth muscle workout! Simply practice getting your lips into the best position for a nice clear note. Play that note over and over, repositioning your lips each time. Mastering the application of your mouth to the mouthpiece of your instrument is known as embouchure.

Tone-tastic
Achieving a great tone is a matter of a number of factors all hitting in unison, but a great point to practice on is pitch placement and pitch bending. Bending a note is a way for players to hear the point in the bend that the tone sounds clearest. The point that sounds best is where the note should always be played.

You can change your pitch by opening your throat, giving your jaw a slight forward motion, and relaxing your embouchure.

Blow on the Range
Strength wasn’t just for your mouth exercises! It takes great strength to play the really high notes just as much as it does the really low notes. Develop your skillsby practicing your high notes as well as the low ones.  

A Good Sense of Music
If you’re interesting in playing a horn instrument, you probably already have a love for music, but listening to the greats and discovering your own musical preference is what it’s all about! The better understanding you have when it

comes to listening to music will come through in your understanding of playing music as well!

Of course, even the great horn players throughout history have always struggled to be truly great in all four of these areas. Everyone will have different strengths and different weaknesses. You’ll likely never master each of these points, but to develop your skills, these areas help to build a strong musician! Enjoy making music! And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

Similar to Archery, Trapshooting requires focus, patience, and a keen eye. Shooting a shotgun at a clay targets that are launched from a machine away from the shooter is sort of an accidental sport as it got its start as a method of practice for bird hunters. Live pigeons were replaced with targets (which is why they are now referred to as clay pigeons).  

This sport’s been around since the late 18th century—back when real birds were used. It’s recorded that by the year 1793, Trapshooting was "well established" in England. The passenger pigeon was abundant and the typical bird used before the transition to artificial targets was made. Glass balls were the original step away from live birds which would sometimes be filled with colored powder to add a visual effect that would easily indicate a hit.

Famous Trapshooters of the day such as Captain Bogardus, the wing shot champion of the world and Doc Carver who outmatched the trapshooter he idolized: Captain Bogardus. But by 1880, clay targets were introduced by a man named Fred Kimble though another man named George Ligowsky took credit for the invention. The new targets were dubbed Ligowsky targets and were welcomed as a replacement for the glass balls.

Trapshooters must develop their skills in patience, watchfulness, readiness, focus, leading accuracy, and more in order to advance their abilities. One way to differentiate skill levels is whether a shooter is capable of double target presentations or just single—in other words, are their two targets launched at once or just one.

Along with Riflery, Trapshooting can be found as an available program at many summer camps across the country. Look into the activities your camp offers or get out to a Trapshooting facility near you and test out your skills to see how much you enjoy it. Have fun out there and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Volleyball Fans!

Volleyball is a game of great coordination and skill. From volleying, to setting, to spiking, and serving, players have been perfecting their performance since the game saw its beginning more than a century ago in 1895. The game was invented soon after basketball and was made to be a combination sport, drawing from basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball.

The game was originally called “Mintonette,” invented by a man named William G. Morgan, a graduate of the Springfield College of the YMCA. The net was one of the original elements of the game—derived from tennis but raised higher. Next up was finding the right size and weight for the ball. Basketballs were too heavy and a soccer ball was too hard. Lastly, Morgan and two buddies wrote up ten rules to explain the concept of the sport.

Once their game design was complete, William G. Morgan took his new sport idea to a conference in 1896 where he demonstrated his idea with the use of two teams that showed the objective of Mintonette was to keep the ball in motion back and forth over the net. Professor Alfred T. Halstead was one among the spectators at this conference and, after watching the demonstration, proposed the name be changed to “Volley Ball”. It became a single word a little bit later.

In the next year, Morgan kept at it, ironing out the rules to Volleyball and 1897 marked the year of the first official North American YMCA Athletic League handbook. Decades passed and Volleyball had remained just a recreational game until the 1930s when it started getting recognition as a legitimate competitive sport with referees and championship games.

So find a net, pick up a ball, ask a couple of people, and give Volleyball a try if you’re not already an avid player. Enjoy volleying and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Sports Fans!

Queue the symphonic masterpiece of the Olympic Musical Theme. The extra-long awaited 2020 Summer Olympics officially begin today and spans the next couple weeks, out to August 8. Some events like the softball and the men’s and women’s soccer tournaments have already begun a couple days back, but the official beginning of the Games is today.

The Olympic Games are performed every four years and were set to fall last summer. Due to the coronavirus, however, the Games were postponed a year out and we’re now treated to them this year, hosted in the Japanese capital of Tokyo.

While summer camp is about so much more than athletics—fun, friends, nature, self-identity—improving your athletic ability is a really big part of camp. And nearly everything they do in the Summer Olympics is a sport or activity (or at least something in a similar field) that you can participate in during your summer camp stay. From team sports to sports for individual performance on land and in the water, the Olympics is like the worldwide exhibition of the sports of summer camp!

They’ve got Archery. They’ve got Gymnastics. They’ve got Swimming. They’ve got Badminton. There’s Baseball/Softball, Basketball, Volleyball, BMX Freestyle, BMX Racing, Boxing, Canoeing, Kayaking, Diving, Equestrian Riding, Fencing, Football, Golf, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Karate, Mountain Biking, Road Cycling, Rowing, Rugby, Sailing, Shooting, Skateboarding, Sport Climbing, Surfing, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Trampoline, Water Polo, Weightlifting, Wrestling, and more.

While the Summer Games are taking place in Tokyo this year, they were meant to be played last year. It’s been agreed upon that the Games this summer will still be referred to as the 2020 Olympics. Whatever they call it, enjoy tuning into this year’s summer installment of the Olympic Games to make up for last year. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Runners!

Do you live for the thrill of the wind rushing past your face as your legs propel you forward with every stride? Running is involved in plenty of sports, but none put such a focus on running as the sport of Track & Field (also referred to as Cross Country). In fact, running is about all there really is to Track. Just a couple months back, I wrote about the invention and the guy who helped popularize Track. Check that post out by clicking here.

An incredibly inclusive sport, here are a few good reasons why Track & Field is a great sport for anybody and everybody to enjoy!

Everyone Can Do It!
Literally everyone is able to do it! It doesn’t matter how good or bad you. Meets are short—WAY shorter than any football or soccer meet. You may have to deal with some long bus rides, but generally Track is easy on your schedule. Also, it’s super cheap! All you really need are a good pair of running shoes and the proper apparel (things you may already own).

An Individual Sport with Teammates
While Track is a very individual sport that is based on your effort that you put into your training and races, it technically is a team sport. Your teammates are always there to cheer you on at all your workouts, races, and long-distance runs. Often times, your Track teammates become really good friends or at least a friendly face you know.

Feeling Good
It feels really great on a few different levels when you finish a race. Of course you’ll be exhausted, thirsty, and out of breath, you’ll feel on top of the world. People who sign up for Track aren’t necessarily in the greatest physical shape, but everyone sees some kind of progress. It’s a very rewarding activity!

All that being said, Track is anything but easy! You need strong determination to see a race through to the end—especially when you have to run in rain, snow, sleet, or extreme temperatures! Maybe Track will be an immensely positive part of your life this summer or in the next fall with your school. Enjoy every step and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John