EPIC Voices: Six Things I Learned From My First Summer Leading Camp
By Eliana Koenigsberg
When I sat down to write this reflection, I expected to focus on how hard my first summer as a camp director was and everything I did to simply make it through. But, to my surprise, my thoughts jumped straight to gratitude. Maybe it’s the post-summer high of sitting here on a Sunday night without being tethered to a walkie-talkie or my phone—but the truth is, camp is magic. No matter what role you hold, camp has a way of overwhelming you with that magic. It’s telling that when I try to write about how hard this summer was, I find myself compelled to share the good things first.
This summer taught me more than I could have imagined. I hope sharing a few of these lessons helps another aspiring camp professional—someone like me, who once felt lost after college, unsatisfied in the corporate world, and unsure how to make their love for camp into a full-time job. Here’s what I learned:
1. Resilience Is Everything
If there’s one quality you need in your back pocket as a camp director, it’s resilience. During the summer, you’ll face challenges—big ones—and as a leader, you’re the person who handles them. There were days when five different things happened within 24 hours that would normally take me a full night to process. But the reality of overnight camp is that you don’t get that time.
I learned to cling to the small things that helped me reset. For me, it was repeating, “Hey, I did that. It wasn’t the end of the world. I can do it again.” Trusting yourself and your decisions, taking accountability, and owning your role will help you push through the toughest moments.
2. It Gets Easier
I won’t sugarcoat it—my first summer dealing with director-level problems was tough. After the first Tuesday of camp, I went home and cried to my partner, convinced I couldn’t do this. But the next day, I got up and went back. And you know what? It became less daunting.
The truth is, my first four weeks were much harder than my last five. The difference? Realizing, “Oh. I can do this. It’s hard, but I’m good at it. I’m making good decisions.” Pair that with taking time to appreciate why you do this job, and it all starts to feel manageable.
3. Calmness and Trust Are Leadership Superpowers
As a director, your energy sets the tone. If you don’t stay calm at the top, anxiety trickles down. Handle problems with composure, and make sure your calm energy is felt by others during stressful moments. That doesn’t mean you can’t be human—but sometimes leadership means bottling up your emotions for a little while so your staff feels safe and confident that everything is under control.
And just as important—trust your team. This was one of the hardest lessons for me. When you’ve spent all year planning and suddenly hand it off to others, letting go feels impossible. At first, I checked in feverishly on everything I had delegated. And in some cases, that was necessary. But as soon as you identify who gets the job done, let them do it. Stop worrying about every detail. The moment you release control in those areas, the summer gets easier.
4. Let Camp Be Fun
Camp is fun—let it happen. Some of the best ideas come from staff and campers with a silly spark of creativity. Give them the space to run with it, because those moments often become the heart of camp.
One of my favorite examples this summer was a staff member who created a five-day “Pickle Party” club. They made pickles, drafted a list of pickle rights, and it ended up being one of the best clubs all summer. Nothing is too silly for a camp schedule—lean into that magic.
5. Do One Fun Thing Every Day (Even When It Feels Impossible)
Before the summer, I asked mentors for advice. One of my former directors told me, “Do one thing fun every day.” It sounds easy, right? It’s not. When you’re managing a team of 70 staff and hundreds of campers, the rare quiet moment makes you want to put on headphones and tune out the world—not go check out balloon-making class or take a dip in the lake.
But I know in my heart this is advice I need to follow. Those small moments of joy will make you a better leader, and it’s something I’m committed to doing more intentionally next summer.
6. Remember the Why
Your job is to deal with the hard things. Sometimes, the really hard things. But there are so many more good things—look around. Look at the campers who feel more at home here than anywhere else. For many, this is the most connected they’ve ever felt to a community.
Look at your staff—the ones who grew up here and keep coming back, even when they could take an easier, better-paying job down the street. Look at the international staff who traveled across the world for this experience and are slowly falling in love with camp, one day at a time.
They love it here because you made it possible. You did the hard work so they could have this magical place.
As I finish writing, I hope anyone reading this who just wrapped up a summer in camping takes a moment to be proud. I am so proud of myself. This is the most rewarding job in the world, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Eliana Koenigsberg is the Director of Camp Ockanickon for Boys (YMCA of the Pines) in Medford, New Jersey and a member of the ACA, NY & NJ EPIC Committee.
