Summer Camp

 Summer Camp is a great time to experience the freedom of going shirtless. For one, simply because summer camps consists of mainly outdoor activities in the hottest time of the year, so shedding the shirt is simply more comfortable. But it is also part of the experience. It embodies the care-free nature of the camp experience, as well as the freedom and self-confidence we want young men to develop. It promotes a sense of comfort and confidence with one’s own body, and a sense of camaraderie with their fellow campers as a shared bonding experience.

It has been a part of the camp experience for generations.

Whether engaging in sports, outdoor activities, or wilderness camping, shirts are not necessary for summer camp.

Staff and camp counselors should not be required to wear shirts, either. Joining the campers in going shirtless promotes bonding and makes the staff more relatable.

Of course, this is only one tiny aspect of what summer camp is about. A well-designed summer camp program should teach some skills, promote health and fitness, and build character. But incorporating a healthy body image and positive bonding experiences with friends and role models can be one aspect of that experience. So, whether you are a camper, counselor, or in administration, I want to encourage you to get out there and make the most of summer camp!

Hot Yoga

As this wrestling team learned, hot yoga is not just a good excuse to peel off your shirt, but a great way to become more attuned to your body, to condition it and push yourself to new extremes. And after all, this is what it is all about. Developing confidence and getting to know your body. And there is perhaps no better way to accomplish this than through the challenging poses of yoga.

This is no easy-going, relaxed activity. As Moody said, “Yoga is not a joke. Yoga is tough.” “It’s more intense than I thought it would be,” Colin adds. And the conditioning aspects have great carry-over value for sports like wrestling. “You use a lot of core strength,” adds Micah. “I’m down with anything that makes you more flexible,” points out James.

So, if you can find a class near you, I would definitely suggest giving hot yoga a try. You will develop strength and flexibility, inner toughness, as well as self-respect and an increased awareness of your own body.