Hard to believe 7 days ago we were about to enter our first dinner together of the season. As I sit at my desk I hear the sounds of kids playing and laughing which is heartwarming. The Junior camp boys bunks are filled with voices of kids enjoying everything that camp has to offer. Seeing their smiling faces over my shoulder at my desk is like watching the Bulls in the 90’s. 

Over my other shoulder I see kids leaving the office with their evening mail. To me the best part is that no one is walking in alone. I see groups of kids who act as though they have been hanging out with their cabin mates since birth! They have been smiling and talking and making memories in spite of it being a rainy day with temps in the 50’s. 

Last night was amazing in many different ways. Not only did we beat West End, our arch rival in basketball in front of a group of 600 here at CRH, but more importantly to me was the way the kids acted or learned to act. As our alumni will tell you this game has been played at West End for the last 40 plus years. After their victory last year, their campers and staff acted so poorly that I put a pause on our relationship. A few weeks ago their director called me and asked if we could maybe get something going again. We agreed on a game here and I promised him that our campers and staff would act appropriately. Before the game, but after the pump up, we talked about how to behave appropriately. I explained that the best way to enjoy the game and cheer on our team was the complete opposite of what goes on in today’s world. We agreed to only act in positive ways. I have no tolerance for booing the opposite team or cheering their injuries. After a thrilling finish with CRH ending on top we refused to let our kids storm the court.  After the game, the director who I have known for the last 30 years came up to me and hugged me and simply said “you nailed this.”  My biggest sense of pride came from hopefully using this win as we do every moment here at camp- as a teaching opportunity.

As I have stated many times – becoming a professional soccer player because of your Robin Hood experience is highly unlikely. My dream is to reinforce good habits based on treating others with respect and kindness. We all learned that winning a huge game felt even better because we displayed proper sportsmanship without making our opponents feel bad. 

Winning with class was the lesson learned last night …

Thanks so much for trusting me 

WOODY

The realm had a cold and windy start to the day, but quickly heated up. Beginning at breakfast, cheers of “Beat West End” roared around the dining hall. Woody announced a surprise mountain trip to Diane’s Bath for the Quills with a cozy reward. No matter the weather, campers of the realm know how to keep things intense. Speaking of intense, the realm had intensives throughout the day where campers got to choose their favorite activities to participate in, and our qualified specialty staff gave their undivided attention. Following the daily activities, the realm dressed up in their white Robin Hoods and headed to dinner. Woody’s boisterous announcements gave way to a White Sea of excitement. The realm cheered as the 15u team got pumped for the game. Under Yensi’s guidance, our kitchen staff cooked up a hearty supper to ensure the realm “BEAT WEST END!” Saxon, Owen Rothstein, led the charge to put up a 20-point first half against West End. In the second half, friar Leo Friedman closed the game with an outstanding shooting performance and stellar defense with several impressive blocks. When the clock hit zero, the realm sang the goodnight song while basking in victory. The Realm closed the night with a sportsmanlike goodbye and the sun of victory in our pockets. Thanks for reading.

Today was one of those days that you talk about all summer long. Theres camp traditions and then theres Robinhood vs West End. Our U15s went head-to-head with West End in what’s become one of the biggest traditions here at camp. With West End just 25 minutes down the road, it’s always more than just a game, and both sides showed up ready.

Robinhood came out hot, taking a big lead in the first quarter, but West End slowly chipped away, tying things up and setting the stage for a tense final quarter. The energy on the sideline was electric you could feel how much it meant to everyone watching.

But with the Robinhood crowd chanting and encouraging the team the U15’s felt like they had a 6th player and found another gear and delivered an absolute clinic in the final minutes, sealing the win with the kind of performance that makes front pages.

And if their night couldnt get any better Woody paid for ice cream!

We are all very proud to be apart of Robinhood and tonight showed us why.

We cant wait to hear everyone talking about this at breakfast.

Goodnight, From everyone here at the realm.

Wow! The girls’ athletics at Camp Robin Hood are truly in a league of their own. While we are not primarily an athletics-focused camp, we have discovered our niche through partnerships with some remarkable camps throughout New England, allowing our girls to thrive in a diverse array of sports.

Today, for example, our girls aged 11 to 14 took part in a play date with Laurel South. We had girls of different ages traveling to Laurel South to participate in soccer, volleyball, and basketball, while we welcomed a group of girls from Laurel South. At the same time, we organized several hiking excursions and social activities, including bowling. Additionally, the weather finally cooled, enabling our kids to fully enjoy the outdoors without the concern of a high UV index!

What an incredible day at the realm!

We started off today in the realm with the Jugglers traveling to West End for an inter-camp challenge! They played hard and won every single sport, and when they came back during lunch, the entire camp cheered for them. Later in the day, we sent the Jesters to the movies for some relaxing time in the air conditioning. They laughed and enjoyed their movie and time off camp. Later in the afternoon, the Arrows and Lancers went bowling at our local alley. They ate snacks, made memories, and had a great time off camp! We finished the day with our first cook-outs of the summer, with our scribes and saxons leading the way. Hope everyone had a great day at home!