Peak Performance: How a Summer at TVRC fosters better Athletes and Teammates

In weighing the decision to attend summer camp each year, campers and families spend time discussing the pros and cons of a month away. These conversations highlight what is to be gained through a summer of Western Adventure with friends and are countered with discussion around the possibility of missing family gatherings, time with friends at home, and very often, the perceived consequences of lost time training for specific athletic teams.

A fact unbeknownst to many, however, is that one of Wennie Wilson’s initial motivations in founding TVRC was to create a place where his football players from the University of Illinois, where he served as the Director of Athletics, could train in preparation for the upcoming season. TVRC started as a way to experience unique mountain adventures with an underlying goal of enhancing athletic character and ability. The point of emphasis in 1938 was to develop a certain morale among campers that Weenie believed would then have a healthy impact on the athletic tone at Illinois. As stated by Wennie in a 1938 News Gazette article, the local mid-west newspaper for the Wilson family, “the chief objective of the camp is to provide an environment where boys will have every opportunity to develop the finest type of character and personality.” Weenie referred to this type of development as “the ranch system.”

Our mission today at Teton Valley Ranch Camp continues to be a commitment to Western Adventure and character development as we create future generations of leaders ready for challenges ahead. And, while we no longer call it ‘the ranch system’, we believe that time on the Ranch provides a great cross training opportunity, both physically and as a teammate, for those who compete athletically the other eleven months of the year. I’ll let our campers share their firsthand perspective on how camp helped them develop as athletes and teammates:

Colter:

Sports: Football, Track and Field: Shotput & Discus

How has TVRC helps you become a better athlete?: TVRC has helped me get in shape and conditioned for football season. The always active and on my feet nature of TVRC has kept me healthy and made me stronger throughout the summer. Backpacking and just being active at TVRC has given me such a boost in my leg strength and endurance. I wouldn’t be the same athlete without it.

How has TVRC helps you become a better teammate?: TVRC has taught me so much about myself and how to be a better person. It has taught me how to be a leader and a listener, I have also learnt how to become a part of a real team with my brothers in my year. With these bonds I have pushed through things that I believed I couldn’t have with my team. I have learned many things from TVRC and I can confidently say that each and every one has been so helpful and impactful on my life and my athletic ability.

Finley:

Sport: Lacrosse

How has TVRC helps you become a better athlete?: TVRC has made me a better athlete because of all the backpacking that is physically demanding and pushes you to do things that you never thought you could do. Backpacking has also mentally prepared me to continuously push myself, similarly to the demands of any sport when things get tough and you need to dig deep to keep going.

How has TVRC helps you become a better teammate?: TVRC has helped me be a better teammate by pushing outside of my comfort zone and having to lean on my cabin mates to conquer tasks together. Teaching me to not only lean on them but also becoming a support system for them in return. It has helped me learn to be a leader and also trust my teammates on and off the field.

Kasen:

Sport: Football

How has TVRC helps you become a better athlete?: I would say TVRC definitely helped me with my athletic performance. Hiking in the Tetons at that high of elevation definitely helped keep me in shape while they also gave me lots of time to train on my own time.

How has TVRC helps you become a better teammate?: TVRC helped me be a better teammate because spending time with my cabin and my fellow Wranglers taught me that I can’t do everything by myself and, especially during the Ceremonies, helped me really become a team player.

For those who are weighing the decision to attend camp due to athletic pursuits, we encourage you to spend a summer training at TVRC. We recognize that it can often be challenging to share the news with a coach that you plan to spend your summer at camp. Last year we shared some tips around how to have that conversation with a coach and highlight the ways TVRC can build campers into better team contributors. Join us for a summer on the Ranch to not build your skills as an athlete, but also as a leader— ready to embrace any challenge that comes your way.