{"id":10544,"date":"2014-05-01T18:28:13","date_gmt":"2014-05-01T23:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/summer-camp-mma.com\/blog\/?p=10544"},"modified":"2022-01-18T11:17:53","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T17:17:53","slug":"benefits-singlesex-summer-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.summer-camp-mma.com\/blog\/10544\/benefits-singlesex-summer-camp\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits of Single-Sex Summer Camp"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"9293376495_c26c0bbaa0_m\"<\/a>I recently wrote about the importance of summer camp for teenagers. For that article, I interviewed SgtMaj Ford Kinsley, the commandant of cadets for Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas. SgtMaj Kinsley runs MMA Summer Camp, which is a four-week adventure camp for boys ages 12-17.<\/p>\n

When SgtMaj Kinsley told me about the all activities the campers participated in, I couldn\u2019t wait to tell my younger brother about it. Then it occurred to me \u2026. If I had a sister instead of a brother, MMA Summer Camp would not be an option for her.<\/p>\n

So I went back to visit my friend SgtMaj Kinsley. I wanted to know why in the 21st century would MMA choose to operate a boys-only summer camp?<\/p>\n

It turns out MMA actually isn\u2019t stuck in the past. In fact, MMA is simply trying to give teenagers exactly what they need: an excellent summer camp experience \u2026 and a break from the opposite sex!<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re scratching your head on this, read on and learn why most teenagers thrive in a single-gender or single-sex summer camp.<\/strong><\/p>\n

They are less self-conscious<\/h2>\n

With single-sex camps<\/span>, there is no longer any pressure to \u201cshow off.\u201d At single-gender camps, teenagers are less concerned about their appearance and how well they perform because the opposite sex is not there to observe them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe campers are better able to focus on the task at hand,\u201d SgtMaj Kinsley said. \u201cThey also tend to try harder during the activities because they are not worried about messing up and being embarrassed.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to SgtMaj Kinsley, it is perfectly fine to remove the opposite sex from the camp environment even for just a short while.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt isn\u2019t because girls and boys can\u2019t do the same things, it\u2019s because it removes the social pressure,\u201d SgtMaj Kinsley said. \u201cThe campers actually end up having more fun, and they end up learning more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now I understand why there are still same-sex schools!<\/p>\n

They make stronger friendships<\/h2>\n

In a single-sex summer camp, it is easier for campers to open up and make new friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur campers come from all over the world, but, because they are boys, they tend to have a lot of interests and experiences in common,\u201d SgtMaj Kinsley said. \u201c\u201cBe it sports, cars, or even girls, it\u2019s easier for them to talk freely to one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plus, teenagers who attend single-gender summer camp spend their energy making lifelong friends \u2013 not chasing after girlfriends or boyfriends!<\/p>\n

\u201cThe campers truly bond and build strong friendships because no else is competing for their attention,\u201d SgtMaj Kinlsey said.<\/p>\n

They have same-sex role models<\/h2>\n

A single-gender summer camp is the perfect place for teenagers to meet same-sex role models.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important for campers to meet same-sex staff who are successful in their field,\u201d SgtMaj Kinsley said. \u201cThese role models can tell the campers their stories and motivate them to achieve their goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Campers are also more comfortable confiding in a staff member of the same sex with a problem or question.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lines of communication tend to be more open in a same-sex summer camp,\u201d SgtMaj Kinsley said.<\/p>\n

The campers also benefit from the mentorship of the older summer campers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt MMA Summer Camp, many of the younger boys are mentored by the older boys. The older boys have been in their shoes so they try to guide and help them,\u201d he said. \u201cRole models don\u2019t have to be a certain age, they just have to set a positive example.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wow! I\u2019m seriously thinking about becoming a Big Sister now!<\/p>\n

Single-Sex Summer Camp: A Good Break from a Coed World<\/h2>\n

Yes, we live in a coed world, but that doesn\u2019t mean your teenager can\u2019t take a break from it. A single-sex summer camp might be just the experience your teen needs this summer!<\/p>\n

As I realized, separating males and females doesn\u2019t mean that they can\u2019t learn the same things or do the same things \u2026 it just means that they may be more relaxed when they are just among themselves. (Don\u2019t believe me? Ask a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop leader!)<\/p>\n

\"Danielle<\/a>Danielle Banda is a communications major at the University of Texas at Brownsville.<\/em><\/p>\n

Marine Military Academy is a college-preparatory boarding school for young men in grades 8-12. For more information about our summer camp visit our website: https:\/\/www.summer-camp-mma.com\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I recently wrote about the importance of summer camp for teenagers. For that article, I interviewed SgtMaj Ford Kinsley, the commandant of cadets for Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas. SgtMaj Kinsley runs MMA Summer Camp, which is a four-week adventure camp for boys ages 12-17. When SgtMaj Kinsley told me about the all activities […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":10526,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-summer-camp-2"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summer-camp-mma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summer-camp-mma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summer-camp-mma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summer-camp-mma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summer-camp-mma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10544"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.summer-camp-mma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11038,"href":"https:\/\/www.summer-camp-mma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10544\/revisions\/11038"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summer-camp-mma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.summer-camp-mma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summer-camp-mma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.summer-camp-mma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}