Christiana Donofry
Reflection #1
This summer I will be completing my internship at Camp Timber Tops in
Greeley, PA as a camp counselor and tennis specialist. I am very excited for this
experience and think it will be a challenging, yet rewarding time. My first
impression of the camp came from the staff coordinator, Ely Wallace, who was
bursting with energy, cheerfulness, and an efficient work manner. From my own
research this camp seems more on the high end with a one-month session costing
campers over $6000! I was impressed by how many activities they offer and how
they really get the campers to try new things. I am definitely excited to meet the
campers and to explore the area. The internship portion of this job comes into play,
as I will teach tennis to over 300 kids aging from 2nd-10th grade. Incorporating such
a large age group will be challenging, but I’m excited to use and develop my
leadership skills.
The camp has a “No Technology” rule, which makes me excited and anxious.
Admittedly I have not gone for a month without my phone, but regardless I am
excited to become busy in all camp has to offer. I also hope I can be a good role
model for the girls in my bunk and can help them enjoy their summer. The most
challenging role will be knowing that I am responsible for the well-being of 10
young girls while still working during the day as a tennis instructor. Undoubtedly,
this experience will be challenging, but it will also be important because it gives me
the opportunity to be fully in charge and take my own liberty in both the counselor
and tennis postitions.
2. Two characteristics that have greatly impacted me during my internship are personal
responsibility and compassion. Throughout my time at camp I was responsible for ten young
girls and their well-being. It was a huge responsibility and tested my patience and ability to
adapt. However I learned that completing tasks with compassion and enthusiasm greatly
enhanced the outcome. Whether I was coaching tennis or helping the girls clean the bunk, I
saw the importance of being compassionate, while also being aware that I was responsible
for my actions. There was no one to double check your work, I was the one responsible for
making sure the girls were healthy, happy, and safe!
3. Camp definitely brought numerous stresses both in the bunk setting and in tennis
instruction. In the bunk, the biggest stressor I had was dealing with 3 girls from Spain who
spoke some English and were very outward with their emotions. I tried to keep things
simple with them and not become drawn into their emotional behavior. For tennis, it was
stressful working with girls who did not want to be there, however, if I was enthusiastic and
made the games fun, they were more willing to try new things. Also, learning how to
manage a large group of kids can be stressful – I did a lot of running during my time off, it
was a GREAT stress release!
4. Camp Timber Tops is a “No Technology” camp, therefore I didn’t interact with people
back at home as often as normal. I was allowed to use my phone during time off, but I did
not have service and the wifi is limited. I definitely tried to balance and stay in touch as
much as possible with my family and friends. I grew a new appreciation for their support
and the simple things of life back at home. To be honest, I liked not being constantly
connected, I worried less, and started to focus more on the things that were important to
me, and not what was “trending” twitter.
5. I am very excited and reassured that I am an Exercise Science major. After coaching and
working collaboratively with other athletic staff members, I feel that I can contribute and
effectively share my knowledge. This camp reconfirmed my desire to work with children,
especially in the performance enhancement area. Working with kids who really want to
learn and get better is such a rewarding experience and I am excited to continue my
education/career. I also feel grateful for sticking with my major. There are so many areas in
EXS that you can enter, but regardless of where I end up, I know I will be doing something I
love.
6. There haven’t been too many negative experiences, but one challenging experience was
when I was scheduled to work the entire day, every single period. Usually we have at least
one period off and just rotated who is on, but not this day. I felt like I got the short end of
the stick and talked to my supervisor about it. After all, it didn’t seem fair that I was working
5 shifts while others were working only 2. I would have worked the shifts but I figured it
couldn’t hurt to ask… It ended up working out, and it was a mistake on the supervisor’s part.
However, I learned that I should speak up if I think something is unfair, because she never
would have noticed unless I said something!
7. Describe a time in your internships when you felt that your values were threatened.
How did this make you feel? What did you do?
i. I always believe in doing a job to the best of your ability and working
to complete that job in an efficient manner. Several of my coworkers did not share this mindset and it was frustrating to work
along side of them. While they took the easy way out and completed
the activities, they did not put genuine effort into any of their work.
As a result, I ended up leading more activities and initiating more of
the schedule. This ended up as a benefit because I got more
experience and the kids loved the effort put forth.
8. Describe a time in your internship when you witnessed potentially unethical
behavior. What about the behavior was unethical? How did this make you feel?
What would you have done differently? (Find a code of ethics for your future
profession.)
a. To be honest, I did not witness any potentially unethical behavior. All
campers were very respectful of staff and fellow campers. The only unethical
situation that I heard of was then a counselor was stealing the clothes of
another counselor, but the situation was resolved quietly. I was surprised
that this occurred, but also impressed with how easily it was settled.
9. Link to code of ethics for personal trainers:
http://www.ncsf.org/governance/conduct/ethics.aspx
10. Describe a time in your internship when you witness an incident of conflict. How
was the situation resolved? If you were the administrator, how would you have
handled the situation?
i. There were various times during my internship where conflicts arose
between counselors. Often this was a result of unclear job
specifications and overstepping of power. With so many counselors
it can be hard to share responsibilities and work together as a
collective unit. The situations were resolved by communication with
those involved and working to clarify the issues. The administrator’s
meditated these issues and became involved only when necessary,
other wise it was up to counselors to work it out. I would handle
these situations in a similar manner, but I would also encourage
counselors to communicate and work out who handles what before
camp starts so there are less issues.
11. Most exercise science professions involve working in a team. Describe how
individuals at your facility work as a team to accomplish a task or goal. What is your
role in the process?
12. Teamwork was a HUGE part of my internship at camp. Every activity from athletics
to crafts to cooking involved members of a team - even in the bunks counselors
worked as a team to watch over the campers. My role was two sided. First and
foremost I was a bunk counselor so I worked with two other girls and was in charge
of “Bunk Hickory.” I also was a tennis specialist, so I worked with the tennis staff in
creating activities and programs.
13. Reflect on your time in the internship so far. What have you learned? What seemed
intimidating or unknown in the beginning, but now is an everyday activity? How
have you grown as a professional? Identify a negative or disappointing experience
that has occurred during your internship. What was your reaction to this
experience? Did any positive changes occur (for you or one of your co-workers)
from this experience? Explain.
14. During this past month I have had the opportunity for so many experiences that
have pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I remember the first day of camp,
not knowing what I was getting myself into, and how the first week flew by. I
learned the value of people, and the power one person can make. I learned that
everyone needs help and has a weakness. I learned that even if you love your
job, there will still be days when everything seems to go wrong. There was one
disappointing day when every session at tennis seemed to go horribly. None of
the kids wanted to play, the weather was hot and humid, I was frustrated with
the girls in my bunk and I just wanted the day to be over. But I realized that
others have felt the same way and its ok. Learning how to handle the bad times
is key in any job/internship, if the kids didn’t see me frustrated, often times they
would behave SO much better.
15. Describe how being involved in an internship has influenced your attitudes or
behaviors toward yourself, your career aspirations, and/or your relationships.
i. This internship has affirmed that I would like to work with children in
the exercise science field. I could not have asked for a more
rewarding experience, although it was challenging, it allowed me to
grow and hold on to what I value. I feel more confident and am able
to communicate in a more effective manner. When I think back, I
was able to have this internship by working with kids, playing tennis,
and living in the Pocono Mountains for a month– that’s pretty
awesome.