Akron Life March 2022

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[ Assistant Editor | Alexandra Sobczak | asobczak@bakermediagroup.com ]

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Going to camp can change your life.

photo by Kristen Hardesty Photography LLC

I was 13 the first time I went to camp. I was an eighth grader attending band camp for my home town’s high school marching band. I didn’t anticipate it would be the start of years (and years) of band camps to come. By that point, I had been playing clarinet for three years, but it was the first time I would be marching and playing an instru ment at the same time. I had a strong background in performing and considered myself to be well-coordinated thanks to years of twirling baton, so I figured band camp wouldn’t be too hard. I was very much mistaken. It challenged me, both mentally and physically. We were outside marching and practicing in the summer heat for about 10 hours a day, and it was my first time being away from home like that, staying in cab ins with a bunch of kids from my school, which I found challenging as a shy kid. And yet, I fell completely in love with it. Throughout my five years in my home town’s marching band, I played clarinet, spun flag and twirled baton. It made me feel like I was a part of something bigger than myself, and I wanted to keep going. So I auditioned to spin flag for the color guard at Kent State University. That’s when I found out how much work marching band really was. During our 10-day camp, we spent days doing physical conditioning before we started learning our halftime shows, and the flag work had my muscles burning as I put everything I had into memorizing the routines.

But it paid off — I learned so many new things, made great friends, experienced the rush of performing at football games over and over again and fell in love with the marching arts in a whole new way. Naturally, I wanted more. I landed a job as the instructor of my hometown’s color guard, entering the activ ity from a new angle. With how intensely I loved performing, I didn’t expect to enjoy anything else as much, but I was wrong. I’m still coaching each fall, and I adore the creative aspects of it almost as much as I love watching students expand their skills and grow to love spinning. And I love get ting to go to camp.

There’s no need to wait until the age I started camp — get kids started early on, having fun and finding their passions. Check out our camp guide on pg. 40 for spotlights on Canton Country Day School’s camp for lower school students and the University of Akron’s STEM camps for middle and high school girls, along with a list of camps to consider for some ideas. That first year of camp ended up being a life-changing experience for me. It intro duced me to an activity that I absolutely love, and I’m so grateful that it led me down the path it has. There are so many camps offered in The 330, and I say, Give them a try .

[ Assistant Editor Alexandra Sobczak is passionate about inclusivity, correct grammar and pop music. ]

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