with Tara McVeigh, Waterfront Director 2022-2023

 

Tara McVeigh, Camp Woodstock’s Waterfront Director for 2022 and 2023 has been a Woodstocker for nearly her entire life. Woodstock runs in her family, and so does the Waterfront. In 2017, when Tara was working as a counselor, her brother Shane McVeigh held the position of Boating Director, and he served as the Waterfront Director in 2018. In 2023, Tara led the Waterfront team through an incredible season.

At YMCA Camp Woodstock, summer means adventure, and the Waterfront Program takes center stage in ensuring campers have a blast while building essential water skills. Safety is paramount at Camp Woodstock; this year, we’ve made some key improvements. The buddy system got an upgrade by switching from buddy bands to buddy boards, making it easier to monitor campers. With buddy boards, campers will put their buddy band on a board monitored by one staff member. That staff member is responsible for communicating buddies to the lifeguards; therefore, the lifeguards are able to keep their eyes on the water and ultimately provide better attention to safety.

Many alumni will remember their swim assessments, but many first-time campers don’t know what to expect. When campers first arrive, they are brought to the waterfront for a swim assessment to better understand their comfort and abilities around water. Campers are evaluated for comfort in deep water, followed by swimming, treading, and floating. Personal conversations with waterfront staff help tailor the experience and give more context to a camper’s water confidence.

This summer was monumental for swim lessons and lifeguard certifications. Five counselors were certified as water safety instructors, 62 counselors were certified as lifeguards, Unit 1 promoted on average 15-20 swimmers per week, and older units promoted 20-25 swimmers per week. Additionally, 5 new water safety instructors introduced waterproof folders for structured daily swim lessons.

Making Swimming at Camp More Approachable

When Tara was asked why a camper might elect swim lessons as a clinic instead of something like “NPR and Sailboats” or “cheerleading”, she confidently replied, “Oh because we call it “Swimmy Swimmy Fun Time” instead of swimming lessons for Unit 1”. Swimmy Swimmy Fun Time promotes water safety awareness and comfort. For campers who are red swimmers with near yellow water abilities, they can take swim lessons (or “slessons”) in the yellow area of the lake for what is referred to as “Orange Slessons”. Swim lessons are mandatory for proficient swimmers, but everyone has a chance to move up by retesting. Green-level campers can opt for “Green Slessons” for skill refinement.

For campers looking to improve their water confidence in the off-season, here’s some advice:

  • Take swim lessons at the pool.
  • Spend time around water year-round.
  • Explore lakes and rivers.
  • Talk to your parents about water safety.