The only camp data I care about this summer
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It’s all about kids today
When you're owning, running, or just working at camp, it can be easy (and necessary) to get real data-heavy real quick.
Are we hitting our revenue targets?
Is the food budget working for each week?
Did the new activity equipment get delivered on time?
Have we filled all of the camper weeks for the summer?
Do we have the right staff-to-camper ratio at the waterfront or archery course?
The list of things to count, add up, subtract, or dig into can seem kind of endless.
All of this stuff matters. No question. You can't run a camp without tracking the logistics and financials.
But after working at camps of all different styles, kinds, sizes, and session lengths for 15 years, I've become convinced that the metrics that actually determine whether kids have an incredible summer are way simpler than most of us think.
And from the kids’ perspective, it might boil down to only a couple of things.
Yeah, yeah, I know how that sounds. I can see your eyeroll. But hear me out.
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Metrics That Matter
If you’ve been reading this at all, you know that this summer I’m at a new camp. It means learning and relearning all of those metrics (and more) that I listed above. That stuff REALLY matters. Duh.
But it’s also meant figuring out how to make sure kids actually know I care, and that the staff cares too. I want every kid to come back next summer, so I’m trying to think about what I can track each day that increases the chances of that happening.
So I’m leaning into two things:
Fist pumps and First names.
This isn’t some like groundbreaking, lightbulb revelation. At my previous camp, it was kind of obvious that the directors and staff who connected best with kids were the ones constantly greeting, acknowledging, and connecting with campers throughout the day.
K&E is different in tons of ways. Brother-sister camp. Much longer session. New traditions. Different energy.
But the things that “worked” at Stomping Ground work here too. Because they are kind of the things that work everywhere (not even at camp, the rest of the freaking world).
The staff here who are absolutely crushing it with kids? Michael, Anna, Sophie, Jack S (not me, another Jack S!). Every ten feet they’re high-fiving someone or calling out a camper’s name.
Not because of some quota. It’s just how they move through camp.
Different camp dynamics, but the same core principle: kids feel best with adults or role models who notice them and know who they are.
Why These "Metrics" Actually Work
Look, I get that counting fist bumps sounds ridiculous. And no, I’m not walking around with some spreadsheet tallying up high-fives.
But if you are tuned into it, you can’t fake 50-100 fist bumps in a day. You literally have to be present, moving around camp, engaging with kids to hit that number.
It’s not just about the individual connections either. When staff watch you greeting kids by name and giving out high-fives all day, they start doing it too.
You’re modeling what connection looks like at your camp.
And saying kids’ names? Every time you say a name out loud, everyone around you learns it too. Counselors pick up names faster. Other kids stop saying “Hey you!”
And here’s the payoff: when a kid has a real problem, they actually come to you. Not because of some policy, but because you’ve built that trust through dozens of small moments.
Plus, I figure it like this: If staff are doing these two things, they’re probably doing a ton of other things right too.
Look, I’m Not Creating More Rules
I’m not putting quotas on fist bumps. I’m not making staff fill out name-usage reports. That would be insane (right? Maybe we try it? Ok, nah, no it’s nuts).
But I do want to signal to staff that these two things, kinda more than anything else, are the best metrics for a successful summer. Not how many activities you ran or how clean your cabin stayed, but how connected you were with kids.
Maybe we call it gentle awareness more than formal tracking.
Making It Happen
Start with me (or you). Pay attention to how many kids are greeted each day. Notice how names get used in conversations.
Train on it. Tell your staff things like: “Say kids’ names three times more often than feels natural.” Give permission to prioritize connection over perfection. Heck, make it into a joke.
Any camp can do this. Doesn’t matter if you’ve got 50 kids or 500. You can’t personally know every name at a huge, huge camp, but you can empower your staff to make these connections top priority. And then everyone is covered.
“Track” these two things for just one week and see what happens. Not with a spreadsheet, just mental awareness.
How many fist bumps did you give today? How many names did you say?
And let the staff know these are the easiest (and best wins).
Everything else will follow.
You got this,
Jack
Get my newsletter every week.
It’s all about kids today
Jack Schott
Summer Camp Evangelist