Warrior Spirit: Perseverance

At Falling Creek, we talk a lot about The Code. It’s made up of four values: Positive Attitude, Warrior Spirit, Moral Compass, and Servant’s Heart, and they show up in everyday camp life.

This week on the blog, we’re sharing stories that highlight what those values look like in action. Some are small, some are funny, some are meaningful, but all of them remind us how The Code helps shape the way we live and treat each other here at camp.

Today’s value is Warrior Spirit, and one of the clearest examples of Warrior Spirit is perseverance.

During campfire, Counselor Patton Jaynes, from Brookhaven, Georgia shared a lesson he has learned over the years.

Reflecting on his own life, Patton told campers that whenever he faced a challenge, someone was always there to help him get back on his feet.

The best lesson I’ve ever learned is that I’m not alone, and neither are you. Camp is a great opportunity to build patience with yourself and lean on others for help.

Perseverance showed up all over camp today.

Paddling Activity Lead Jez sees it every day in the paddling skill.

Every kid going on the river is going to learn to persevere. You have to fail to learn.

Missing a buoy. Getting stuck in a tough section. Fighting to keep a canoe moving straight.

Learning happens one mistake at a time.

Perseverance showed up in the gym, too.

Bo T. from Nashville, Tennessee, signed up for Basketball Skills because he wants to improve his reverse layup.

There’s just one problem.

A reverse layup is REALLY hard. I can’t see what I’m doing.

Like many campers this week, Bo is learning that improvement doesn’t happen overnight.

The only way to get better is practice. It’s like homework, except I’m not at home! One day I’ll be able to do it if I keep at it.

That lesson was on display at paddling today.

Dixon and Finn L., sixth graders from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, were working through their paddling preparation together.

Dixon went on his first out-of-camp trip last summer.

I loved it. It made me want to do more this year.

The two canoe partners know some skills take patience.

Being together is better than being alone because we can push each other even when it’s hard. We know how to motivate each other. It’s going to be hard, but I think we can do it.