As I’ve watched the madness that is the March unfold on the court and my bracket bust yet again, I have found my thoughts drifting, as they often do, to camp and all the adventures awaiting our guys this summer. And I couldn’t help but be struck by one huge way that college basketball and summer camp are exactly the same: details matter.

With whole seasons coming down to one possession games decided by a single defensive stop or well executed play, I could almost hear the coaches preaching the importance of details all season long and watching as the little things became the big difference in a win or loss.

Just as in those March Madness games, details make a big difference here at camp. And that’s why “we care about details” is one of our core values. It permeates everything we do, because ultimately details play a pivotal role in our community and our campers’ experience. We spend nine and a half months preparing for boys to join us for 2 or 4 weeks, and every moment matters.

That’s why we do things in the off-season like getting all new signs for our cabins and buildings (don’t worry, they are the same style and color, just new), building a new set of stairs behind Stomper’s Knob because the old ones had a big third step I thought was treacherous, or replacing all the light bulbs in camp a few years ago so that the lighting in each cabin felt more welcoming and ‘just right’.

It’s why we review the safety procedures in all our activities each year to make sure they meet the highest standards for our industry. It’s why we pride ourselves on having the most thorough hiring process and training week for our staff. So that when summer starts, we are in championship form. So even if your favorite team isn’t still dancing (I’m with you, Vanderbilt lost in the first round), get excited because camp is just around the corner. And here at Timberlake we’re working around the clock to make camp big enough to get lost in the adventure, but small enough where no detail is lost, because every one matters.

68 days until camp.

John Menendez

Director, Camp Timberlake for Boys

Proud Commodore

Petey is proud of our new cabin signs