Why Stomping Ground? (Part 1)
It’s been 110 days since I officially set foot on camp for the first time. Since then, I’ve connected with over 100 new and returning staff, met a ton of campers, hosted an egg hunt, and talked with more than 200 parents. Moving from a small college town in Indiana was definitely a crazy experience, but my life has been completely transformed by the incredible community that is Stomping Ground.
Of all the conversations I’ve had so far, one question keeps coming up:
Why Stomping Ground?
It’s such a simple question, but one we all ask in some form or another. Why do we do anything? Do we need to justify every decision? For parents especially, the answer is often “yes.” Whether or not you’re comfortable with the idea of sleepaway camp, there’s no denying how nerve-wracking it can be to send your child away for days at a time with people you may have only just met. Will they come out of their shell? Will they feel seen and understood? Will they be safe?
For me, summer camp has always been a space where I could express myself freely, without fear of judgment. From a young age, camp gave me room to fail and grow. I even studied theatre in college because I first fell in love with it at camp. But above all, camp helped me find and develop my voice.
Here’s the tricky part though: I never had just one “home” camp. I moved around a lot and attended many different programs, so when I talk about camp, I’m often talking about an idea, not a place. Not all camps are created equal, just like all kids have different needs. I don’t believe there’s one perfect camp for every child. So...where does Stomping Ground fit in?
A Different Kind of Camp
What drew me to Stomping Ground was their deep focus on trust, play, and empathy. Sure, lots of camps say they care about those things. But have you ever heard the expression, “easier said than done?””?
Many camps focus heavily on activities and logistics. Don’t get me wrong—I LOVED the giant swing, riding a horse for the first time, and tubing on a massive lake. But when I think back on my favorite camp memories, what sticks with me isn’t the stuff—it’s the people. The best camp I ever attended before Stomping Ground had just a few cabins, a dining hall, and a lake. No bells and whistles. But the staff? They showed up as their full, silly, quirky selves. They built real relationships. They trusted us, and we trusted them back. The camp couldn’t rely on expensive equipment or fancy programming, they relied on the power of kids and our creativity to build community. That kind of magic isn’t about facilities—it’s about people and the way they make you feel.
Sound familiar?
Shortly after arriving at Stomping Ground, I attended one of the camp’s BIPOC Affinity Groups. What I witnessed there changed everything. Kids—ages 8 to 15—talking openly and insightfully about the world around them, about injustice, fear, and hope.
It was powerful.
No other place I’ve worked has created space for that kind of conversation—led by kids, no less. In that moment, I realized Stomping Ground was something special. It wasn’t just another camp. It was a community committed to listening to kids and helping them lead.
Beyond Just “Fun”
We in the camp world love to say we’re inspiring kids to go home and change their communities. But is that always the truth?
Think back to the summer of 2020. COVID-19 shut down camps across the country. BLACK LIVES MATTER protests were spreading across cities. Kids were stuck at home, online, and isolated. I worked at a camp that was able to stay open that summer, but I’ll never forget a moment from staff training: “We will send kids home who bring up politics or mention the Black Lives Matter protests.”
I remember the fear in the eyes of the few Black campers there—kids afraid to go home, unsure of what kind of world was waiting for them. That camp, like many others, banned all discussion of politics or real-world issues—even among staff.
Now, I’m not here to say that’s wrong for every camp. But if we want kids to leave camp inspired to make a difference, shouldn’t we help them develop their voices first?
The Mission That Drew Me In
Before I even applied for this job, I fell in love with Stomping Ground’s mission:
Inspiring the next generation of radically empathetic decision makers.
Camp is one of the few places where kids can connect across backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. At its best, camp feels like a second home—a place where you’re seen and welcomed for exactly who you are. At Stomping Ground, we trust kids to have big feelings and hard conversations. We celebrate identity and differences. We give kids and staff the freedom to choose who they are, what they do, and who they spend their time with.
When we stop trusting kids—when we censor their voices or ignore what’s on their minds—they stop feeling like they belong.
If camp is truly a second home, then kids deserve to know their voice matters. They deserve tools and guidance to talk through hard things. If youth are the future, why should their voices be quieted in the very places designed to nurture them?
One of our co-founders, Jack Schott, recently said:
“Summer camp isn’t a break from real life. It’s a dress rehearsal for real life.”
That quote, along with a recent conversation I had with a longtime parent, inspired this blog.
We owe it to our youth to help them build not just their confidence and creativity, but also the power of their voice. We can’t shield them from the world—but we can help them learn to navigate it with empathy, courage, and care.
That’s why I chose Stomping Ground. That’s why I’m so excited to spend the summer surrounded by community, by curiosity, and by kids using their voices at full volume.
Want to know what happens when we truly empower young people?
Join us this summer and see for yourself.
Part 2 coming after the summer.
Want to hear more from Daniel? Check out this video where he expands just a bit more on his camp journey.
