Ron Burton Training Village From My Perspective
Introduction:
Ron Burton training village (RBTV) has been my save haven for the past 9-years. 5-years as a camper and 4-years as a leader. Located down in the jungles of Hubbardston Mass, the RBTV is one a kind. Literally, the only training village in the world. Kids from all over the U.S and of all sports and all skills are invited. Well that’s’ if you’re blessed enough to make it pass the 2-years waiting list. The RBTV is a Christian based training camp with great morals and values. Morals like “God first, Others second, Me third” and “Love, Peace, Patience, and Humility”. Because it is a training camp after all, we wake up at 4:30 in the morning, run 7.5-miles a day, 5-days a week, for 5-weeks. Yes everyone is required to run. From an 11-years old going into middle school to a senior in High school. As long as you are an athlete you are obligated to do the run despite your individual sport. It can be golf, tennis, and swimming, or baseball, football, basketball, track or wrestling, everyone means everyone. Even as a leader in college you are strongly recommended to run. Why? Well because that’s what great leadership is; leading by example. Why is it an obligation for campers? Because the 7-mile run is really more than just a morning run. It’s all about mental toughness, going the extra mile, pushing on to the finish line even when your body says no and of course never giving up. As an 11, 12, or 13 years old, it is a challenge understanding from this perspective, but as the years go by and as puberty and maturity kicks, you start to see things differently. That is really when the real camp begins. It becomes more than just having fun for five weeks with 130 friends, it becomes more about training for the next level of life, mentally, socially, academically, athletically, and of course spiritually. Behind the morning run, there are trainings like the obstacle course, clinics for individual sports, stations on rainy days, sprints in the form of cat and mouse, four corners, relays and more. Aside from the physical aspect, there is reading time for younger campers, who unfortunately have to deal with the struggles of summer reading, and SAT sections for the older campers, from freshman year and up. College recruits, sponsor visits and motivational speeches are all a common way of life at RBTV. Singing praise songs, praying before every meal as well as 15-minutes of quite time to focus on God, meditate on everyday life privileges and struggles are common spiritual activities at the Ron Burton Training Village. And of course, Church on Sundays and nightly Bible study. Not your typical summer camp huh? Absolutely not!
Limitless Opportunities:
The opportunities provided at RBTV are truly limitless. I mean, what other camp in the world do you wake up at 4:30am and run 7.5-miles anyways? Where else on the face of the planet do kids go away for 5-weeks and train physically, mentally, and spiritually? But then again where else are kids given 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th chances in life and are fully loved despite their past? Finally, what other summer camps that exist at this moment where campers get to be recruited by some of the top colleges in the country for the opportunity of a full ride, all based on their individual characters? There’s truly none. The opportunities really are endless when the kids choose to grasp it. I know I did, and my life was forever transformed. How so? I mean, I am on a full ride at Stonehill College, my dream school for as long as I’ve been associated with the camp; only because of my character. Only at the RBTV would you fine such an opportunity I believe. This past summer was hands down one of the most exciting summers I’ve spent at RBTV. For the month I was at camp, I got the opportunity to meet the President of Reebok worldwide, the President of Hill Holidays (the biggest advertisement company in Boston), the President of the Yawkee foundation for the second time, and many more important business owners. People who really have been there, done that, and now are living their dreams. I also got to meet, trained and lived with representatives from the Naval Academy, West Point, and the Air Force Academy. One of my favorite things about getting to meet these individuals is getting to listen to everyone’s stories and experiences. Basically how they get to where they are, and what it’s like being where they are. Once again, only at RBTV. On the 20th of July, a week before camp, we went on a fieldtrip for the first time in ages. We were fortunately invited to the Reebok headquarters, the home of cross-fit fitness for a full day experience. While there, we got a taste of a typical cross-fit workout and participated in a friendly competition in sports such as volleyball, soccer, kickball and basketball. I personally took part in a game of volleyball on a team with a reebok employee who was once a volleyball star. I played next to this beautiful Sweden lady not realizing how big of a deal she was. She was literally a boss. After getting to talk to her at lunch, I discovered that she was the boss of Reebok’s advertisement department. She basically over sees everything associated with Reebok worldwide, having to do with posters, logos, billboards, and TV commercials. Like I was saying, only at RBTV would you get such an opportunity. In closing of the Reebok adventures, we were surprised with a special guest; a future hall of famer and member of the Reebok family, Demarcus Ware of the Dallas Cowboys. One last time…Only at RBTV! Well not exactly, but the point is very obvious. The opportunity truly is endless and I am blessed to have been part of it for the past 9-years of my life.
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