Camp Purpose
Jr.High is one of the most pivotal periods in a childs life, where they can "rise or crumble" in the lens that they view themselves in.  Giving a pre-teen a clear picture of who they can be, and how to go about it, can have a life long impact.  In fact, we feel its the best thing that you can do for your young adult, far more valuable than math tutoring or basketball training.  These are the skills that weave into every element of their life.  Teaching them how to handle the struggles of life without losing themselves is pivotal to healthy development. 

Here are some questions to consider:

• How do you instill confidence in your pre-teen so they are strong enough to handle the transitions to high school and adulthood?
• What do pre-teens need to learn to handle peer pressure in a way that maintains good life decisions while eliminating social ostracization?
• What does it mean to be a leader in todays society, what is the clear visual image or goal that your child should strive for, and how deeply engrained is that image?
• What are the critical elements of character development that your Jr.High child needs in order to become a young adult who displays depth, vision and purpose?
• How do you communicate the critical areas of personal development so that your child is motivated to strive for them?
• Every child hit the age where they often stop listening to their parents.  Who will your child be getting guidance from? Will the internet and their peers be their guide?

Bob McFarlane, the Founder of Bald Eagle Camps, offers 25+ years of coaching experience at the youth, high school and college levels. Along with being a certified PCA trainer, he has been a high school teacher for 18 years and currently teaches Special Ed and PE at Los Altos High School.  Beyond his BA in Kineseology he holds 2 Teaching Credentials and a Masters Degree in Special Ed from Santa Clara University.  Bob also coaches Boys Basketball and is the founding club advisor for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes group at LAHS.

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Big Picture
On the same location that we hold our Leadership Camp, we also run a Sports Camp and a Basketball Camp.  The Leadership Camp runs separately but is integrated into the other camps, primarily the Sports Camp.  The lessons on Leadership include teaching on Character Qualities of a Leader, Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset (Carol Dweck), Job Skills, Social Skills, Community Service, Transition to High School, Standing Strong in Peer Pressure, and others.

Our Leadership Camp has a Mentoring Element that is very powerful.  The Leadership Campers have an assigned Mentor who is one of our Bald Eagle paid coaches, typically a college student or older, that they meet with throughout the week.  They also have a Mentee who is a Sports Camp youth camper that they connect with regularly to practice their newly acquired leadership skills.  Bald Eagle goes above and beyond to make the Leadership Campers feel like they are "part of the coaches" not the "little kids camp", being used as assistants and helpers in all aspects of our camp.  We've found that pre-teens really want to be treated as older kids, love having responsibilities and get excited about being called on to help out.  It makes them feel important and connected.

Amongst other things, throughout the Leadership Campers day they participate in.....

Leadership Lessons & Discussions, Non-Skill FUN Games/Activities, Mentor/Mentee Sessions, Job/Community Skills Training, Public Speaking Opportunities, Goal Setting, Character Development, and Director Evaluations.


Leadership Camp Highlights

• Unique camp design that develops character, confidence, social skills & fitness
• Great mix of "lessons, experiences & activities".  Campers learn about what it means to be a leader through discussions and mentoring, practice those skills with their peers and with our Sports Camp kids, in addition to playing games/participating in our famously FUN summer camp activities.
• In depth education on the Positive Coaching Alliance principles of being a Triple Impact Competitor and a Double Goal Coach.  Structured practice opportunities and scenario discussions to reinforce these Leadership lessons.
• Talks by guest speakers, including college/pro coaches & athletes.
• Opportunities to get up and present/speak in front of a group. 
  
• Event management skills, from planning to implementation.  They design a camp event, and then execute all the details from top to bottom.
  
• Peace of mind knowing your kids are led by a professional coach and
  teacher. Camp Founder Bob McFarlane's methods of developing leaders and guiding youth is first class and well respected in the community.  
• Built in "fun-breaks" during the day where Leadership campers can
  access the facilities and our Multi-Sport Camp activities such as swimming, arts
  and crafts, dance, Activity Arcade room, water games, etc. meant for "just having fun" on a summer day.
• Value that goes beyond a week of camp - 12 months of PCA parenting
  resources, including Jim Thompsons book "Positive Sports Parenting".
• Life application tools that help children maintain a positive outlook in any
  environment.
• Healthy organic lunch option provided by Taste Nutrition.

Positive Culture
Bald Eagle Camps is about giving kids a fun and positive experience where they improve, learn a lot, and increase their passion and motivation to "be their best".  Our entire camp system is built around teaching the PCA principles of being a Triple Impact Competitor. Our entire staff is committed to creating a fantastic culture for kids and parents.

The Future
Bald Eagle Camps is passionate about building young leaders.  Each year we bring on a group of Coaches In Training, typically 9th and 10th graders who volunteer their time and work as assistant coaches at our camp.  This is a select program that has been very successful, offering leadership development, job skills training, Coaching Certification and community service hours.  Coaches In Training are also the top applicants for paid positions when older, to work at our camp since they fully understanding the purpose and have proven themselves as quality leaders.  We anticipate that most of our new CIT's, and ultimately future paid coaches, will now be coming from our Leadership Camp.