my camp speech
Every summer, kids flock to basketball camps. Camps are fun for kids because they get to play all day and hang out with friends. Basketball camps can also teach kids a lot of things…basketball and life. I know that when I was young I loved the camps and I learned a lot from them.
Most camps have guest speakers at some point during the camp. I have listened to many as a camper and as a counselor. On the way home from working at Xavier’s basketball camp, I thought about what I would say to a camp if I was asked to be the speaker. It’s hard to approach basketball camp, especially with young children, because most have no intention of being a basketball player, even at the high school level. So I think the speech should be about life, but with basketball as the central point.
I would start by talking about wanting something versus needing something. Everyone needs food, water, shelter…etc. People want a variety of things… a big house, an expensive car, things like that. If I asked the camp how many campers would like to play in the NBA one day, the entire camp would raise their hands. If I ask how many campers would want to play in college one day, the result would predictably be the same. It’s not a matter of wanting, it’s a matter of needing. Who will need to get to the NBA to be happy? That will end up deciding who does and who doesn’t.
If you need something to live or to be happy, you will do everything to achieve it. If he needs to get to the NBA to make a living, then he’s going to be extremely focused. You won’t be distracted by alcohol, parties, drugs, and anything else that might get in your way. Basketball will be your priority and you will put incredible effort into your practice clothes. It’s not easy to skip a party to do your second job of the day… yes, second, because it won’t be a question if you haven’t exercised yet. It’s easy to get lazy and skip a shot workout here and there or take a week without weights because it’s summer and you want to relax.
Now, we have separated wanting something and needing something. At this point, campers should realize that they want enough to need it in their lives. Is it sport? Is it to be a doctor? If you are going to be a doctor, then you should put academics as your priority, everything else is secondary to academics. If you have a passion in your life that you’re willing to make a priority, you’ll love waking up every morning to further that dream.
When you don’t know what you want to do, when you don’t have a passion… life is hard and often boring. At that time, soul searching and experiencing different things is very important. There is something that everyone loves and if you can find a way to do it for the rest of your life, then you should do it. The truest saying might be “it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey”. The destination must be important and you must not lose sight of what you are working for, but the journey is what makes the destination worthwhile. All the best memories of your life will be from the trip you worked so hard on and shared with people.
So recap things here, find a passion in your life. Something that you need in your life, something that you will love to get up every morning to start working on your goal. Once you figure out what that is… work hard and don’t let anything distract you from making it happen. As you work towards your life goal, don’t forget to enjoy the journey. Enjoy the people you meet, enjoy the crazy things you have to overcome to make your dream come true. Work harder and smarter than others who want your same dream. That “and” in the last sentence is big. Some work hard, some work smart, but very few do both.
I hope that everyone can take something from my speech and apply it to their life, even if it is a small thing. If everyone took one thing from my speech, I would be very happy. Have fun on your trip!