Imagine that you are in a football game and there are only two minutes left. The team knows you can make the final touchdown, but you are scared that if you do not get to the end-zone, the team will be disappointed. You worry that if you cannot, they might not think they can count on you in the future.

As the two minutes start to tick away, you run toward the touchdown area. The quarterback throws you the ball and you chase it hard. At this point, no matter the outcome, the whole team and the crowd is cheering your name, smiling and encouraging you to keep going…

This is how I felt every time I played sports at AYC.

Whether softball, soccer, flag football, or volleyball, the sporting experience at Ambassador Youth Camp is a welcome challenge. If you are not a “sporty” person, be prepared to expand your horizons while at camp, just as I did.

Sports at AYC taught me how to really enjoy myself while trying “with all my might.” I was not very into athletics before camp. While there, however, all that changed. I learned a lot about how to play different sports and the rules of each game.

At AYC, we were encouraged to play every sport wholeheartedly, even if it was not our favorite activity. Staff members helped us to complete whatever task was at hand.

Learning teamwork was the number one priority. Volleyball was a good example of this. I played with three campers and two staff members on a team named the “High Fliers.” During the first match of our volleyball tournament, we played the “Blue Blitzes.”

While we did win, our communication greatly improved during the game. The more we talked to each other, the better we became. It was enjoyable to have friendly competition with people who played for fun and were not sore losers.

Some sports had additional challenges. For softball, it was the merciless heat, but it was worth it. I enjoyed practicing before the game and playing with friends who were fast becoming like family.

During games, I made it all the way to home plate a couple times! I must admit, it felt good. When a camper on our team hit a homerun, it made me try even harder to help my team.

But it was not only fun when you were on the field—it was also satisfying to cheer on your team from the bench. During the game, everyone cheered everyone on. It was definitely an example of how important teamwork and unity was at camp.

On the second Monday of AYC, we played soccer. It was another hot and humid day. But the scenery helped me deal with the heat. While on the soccer field, I could see beautiful, high hills in the distance.

Before playing soccer, we did drills. When it was finally game time, boys and girls were separated into different teams, which included a few staff members. Our team name was “Eiffel Tower,” and we made it into the tournament. Soccer is not my favorite sport, but with my teammates cheering me on, I was able to score a goal!

While traveling to various sporting activities, we were able to take in the surroundings, from lush green grass to shadowy hilltops. Such calming landscapes helped everyone prepare to play a full day of sports.

A highlight of AYC was the looks on campers’ faces while playing almost all sports. Most appeared as though they were ready to tackle any challenge. The constant cheering helped. I was even more motivated to play every sport after hearing campers sing chants from the sidelines, such as, “P-U-M-P, pump, pump, pump it up!”

During a lecture on the first day of camp, there was one phrase that stuck with me throughout the two weeks: “Try new things, because if you do not, you might regret it in the end.” I applied this phrase to each new sport at camp—and do not regret it!