Staff who are too cool for school
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You’re doing staff training right now.
You can either picture them or are looking at them right in the eyes.
You know exactly who I’m talking about.
The 18-year-old who won’t sing the songs. Who rolls their eyes at the icebreakers. Who sits with their arms crossed during team-building activities like they’re waaaay above the whole thing.
Which is funny, considering they just, you know, SIGNED UP TO WORK AT CAMP!!!
What the hell?
Don’t worry, I can also picture them perfectly after running staff trainings in four different states over the last week. Trust me, they’re everywhere. That counselor who somehow became “too cool for camp” despite literally choosing to spend their summer here.
That one person can make or break your entire training. And if you don’t address it now, they’ll drag down your whole summer.
The 4% Problem
We’re talking about roughly 4% of your staff (a very scientific number Steve Maguire first told me about. He might have made it up, but it feels about right, and Steve is awesome).
In a group of 50 counselors, that’s maybe two people. Doesn’t sound like much, right?
Wrong.
4% can ripple out in ways you definitely don’t want. If you look over and see the guy (and let’s face it, it’s mostly the guys) who’s normally the funniest at lunch, but he’s not participating in the team activity, then good luck getting everyone else in the middle to join in.
They’ll stick with the cool kid instead of the enthusiastic group.
One active non-participant is a total momentum killer.
And yeah, you’re probably sitting there right now thinking, “Jack, I need bodies. I can’t afford to lose anyone right now.”
I get it. Staff shortages are real.
But if you need warm bodies that badly, you’re setting yourself up for a rough summer. The cost of keeping a disengaged counselor is WAY higher than dealing with being short-staffed for a week or two.
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My Evolution: From Arguing to Understanding
I used to be bratty about this. I would fight with them (not literally, but in camp fun terms), thinking going hard on the too-cool group was the way to go.
If I saw someone not participating, I’d engage with their negative energy absolutely head-on. Maybe call them out publicly. Try to convince them why they were wrong. Get frustrated and take it personally.
Spoiler alert: it never worked.
“Standing up” to the “too cool” counselor just creates more drama for everyone to watch. And it sets up a me vs. them thing I for sure don’t want happening. Which is why I swtiched to treating it as a problem to solve rather than a battle to fight.
Sometimes that means coaching them up. Sometimes it means coaching them out. But always directly and privately.
The Feelings → Facts → Future Framework (Again!)
Remember these babies? The 3Fs? You can see why I love this stuff.
It works for tough conversations with campers, and it definitely works for disengaged staff too.
Facts: “It’s clear you weren’t doing the song.
Feelings: “How did it feel in the moment? How do you feel right now?”
Future: “The jobs at camp is to participate. What do you need to be able to do that in the future?”
This is nothing to do with shaming or making them feel bad. It’s just getting clear on what’s happening and what needs to change.
Most of the time, there’s something just underneath the “too cool” act.
Maybe they’re nervous, don’t know the words, or feel awkward. But sometimes (or often), they think being defiant makes them look cooler to their peers. Trust me, they care more about what their friends think than what you do.
That’s when you need the right messenger.
Sometimes that’s not you. Maybe it’s the tattooed ropes director they think is awesome, or the counselor they actually connect with. When I approach defiant staff, it feels like the principal’s office no matter how I try.
When the “cool” staff member does it, it hits different.
It’s worth mapping out which leadership staff have the strongest connections with which team members. Psychology calls this a sociogram. Understanding the social network helps you find the right person to have the conversation.
Hard Truth: Sometimes You Coach Them Out
Fear isn’t a great motivator at camp.
If someone doesn’t want to get on the bus, no amount of “feelings, facts, future” conversations will help. You can’t force someone to care about kids or embrace camp culture if they fundamentally don’t want to be there.
Sometimes coaching them out is better than coaching them up.
I know this sounds harsh when you’re desperate for staff. But think about it: would you rather be two people short with engaged counselors, or have your full roster including someone who’s actively working against the culture you’re trying to build?
The disengaged counselor costs you way more than the empty bunk. They drain energy from other staff. They model the wrong behavior for campers. They turn simple activities into power struggles.
If the conversation about expectations doesn’t work, help them find the exit. It’s better for everyone.
Practical Backfilling Strategy
If you know you’re about to lose 2% of your staff, don’t panic. Start texting.
Talk to your best counselors in the moment. Ask them: “Do you have any friends who might want to work a couple weeks at camp?”
Reach out to every previous staff member with a simple, “Hey, how’s the summer going? We’ve got some openings and would love to have you back. even for a week or two”
You won’t get a huge response rate, but if you send out a hundred texts, you’ll get 2-3 people who can fill in, and you won’t have to train them up. That’s enough of a buffer to give you confidence to have the tough conversations with your disengaged staff.
This isn’t about finding perfect long-term solutions.
It’s about creating enough breathing room so you’re not making decisions from desperation. When you know you have backup options, you can afford to hold higher standards.
Moving Forward
And while you’re watching for the “problems”, don’t forget to celebrate the solutions. Make being energetic and camp-like part of what gets people compliments. Notice the counselors who are diving in fully and tell them you see it. Point it out to everyone.
But spot the disengagement early. Don’t wait until Week 3 to figure out the counselor who’s been checked out since Day 1.
Watch for the eye rolls during morning announcements. Notice who’s on their phone during team activities. Pay attention to body language during group discussions.
Build systems that encourage engagement from the start. Make participation a clear expectation, not something you hope happens naturally. Your enthusiastic staff deserve to work alongside people who are as invested as they are.
That “too cool for camp” counselor can change.
But only if they want to. Your job is to find out which it is and act accordingly.
You got this,
Jack
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Get my newsletter every week.
It’s all about kids today
Jack Schott
Summer Camp Evangelist