Hello again campers, parents, potential campers, and other curious readers. This is Camp Director Fran Cusick, once again writing a blog post on my favorite topic: why you should attend Stowe Running Camp. If you’re a high school student, you’re probably in the process of catching your breath after what was surely an arduous ten months of exams, bus rides, races, school lunches, and all the amazing and horrendous things that go into being a high school student. It’s likely you’re looking forward to giving your brain some time off, sleeping in till 11 here and there, and watching a lot of Netflix while eating a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.
In the midst of all that, I do want to ask you (if you’re a parent reading this; ask your son or daughter) to attend Stowe. Why, you may ask? Well, I outlined much of this in my previous blog post. But I wanted to jump onto a different road for this one. There are so many running camps out there right now, that I would imagine the decision of which one to choose is a difficult one. There are giant running camps out there with 500 plus kids. There are smaller ones with just 10-20 kids. There are camps for the most elite athletes in the country and there are camps specifically designed for beginning runners. Each and every one of these camps is run by passionate people who care about what they are doing and sincerely want the athletes they serve to get better. It would be cynical for me to suggest otherwise.
What I can tell you with certainty is that the people who work at Stowe Running Camp have a passion for both running and the camp itself. To me and to many of my colleagues, it is more than a means to an end: it is an end to itself, a wonderful place where you are free to pursue your passion, to a large extent unencumbered by the outside world. Read through some of the testimonials or talk to the people who have been at Stowe or worked at Stowe and they will tell you the same thing: it’s a special place and a special camp. Almost all of our current counselors are former campers. They continue to come back because they love the camp and what it stands for. I’m not sitting here telling you that every kid who attends will have a transformative experience. But I am telling you, as sincerely and honestly as I can, that the people who work here, myself included, believe that such a transformative experience is possible and actively work to make it happen. I’ve seen it on many occasions.
Quite frankly, we are not a camp that is out to make a lot of money. We aren’t sponsored by a giant shoe company or trying to sell you a product or teach you the “secrets” to running. If you want that, you should look elsewhere. If you want a camp where you can grow your passion for the sport with others, then Stowe Running Camp is the right place for you.
Thanks for reading, as always please contact me with any questions about the camp via email at fcusick13@gmail.com.
-Coach Cusick
Stowe Running Camp 