A Letter Home

Dear Mom and Dad,

Currently, I’m a week into my dean summer of camp. I have 31 days left in my time in College League, and 31 days left, to give back to the league what it gave to me.

Through my 8 summers as a camper at Manitou, College League has taught me values like no other league or singular sport or activity could have. As a camper, it instilled values in me, teaching me to be a better competitor and, through that, a better person. Through each team I’ve been on, I’ve been able to learn something new.

On Florida as a low soph, Miles (dean) instilled confidence in me. He made a 9 year old me feel like a leader, and like I belonged in a new environment. On Vanderbilt, Keith (dean) taught me patience, as well as how to win with grace, staying calm and collected no matter what. On Texas A and M, Justin (dean) taught me how to lose with grace. He taught me how to keep your head up no matter what - not letting anything stop you. On Alabama, Josh (dean) taught me strength and resilence, how to keep fighting,and pushing for the next ball, but to do it with grace. On Butler, Ben (dean) taught me swag,and how to learn - taking in everything around you and growing from it. Learning and Earning. On Georgia, Hank (dean) taught me how to connect, and use things from your home to grow your team and instill your own personal culture. On Oklahoma, Stein taught me how to be a leader. How to teach and inspire - how to tranform and how use your actions as an example for others. Each of these teams gave me something I could have gained nowhere else. What I gained from each of them, was unique to the teams themselves - no one team can teach or inspire in the same way another can. As a dean now, in the same way that each of these teams gave something to me, I’m able to give back to camp as a whole.

As a former camper though, I’ve been able to see that as a camper, to give back, you need to take initiative. Giving back doesn’t just have to be the service work you may do in or outside of camp - but it is helping. Taking the mature route and using yourself to benefit camp, or the world as a whole. Taking the intiative is the first step I’ve learned to give back. Taking intiative to make the world around you just a little bit better.

Thank you for sending me to Manitou 12 years ago, thank you for sending me here, allowing me to grow as a leader and a competitor, and learning to give back to the community around me.

Love,

Tyler