Spotlight on Staff: Back-To-Back Victories for DBell!

Although the summer is the best part of our jobs, here at Timber Lake we like to keep track of our camp family throughout the year.  This week, we check in with our Cadet Boys Division Leader Danny Bell (“DBell” as he’s known around here!), a teacher at Low Country Day School in South Carolina who also coaches the Varsity Girl’s Basketball Team.  DBell talks to us about winning Back-To-Back State Championships and offers some tips for success to our Jacobs, Gordon, Melter & Owners Cup hopefuls!

TLC: Congratulations on your back-to-back State Championship victories!
DBell: Thanks so much!

TLC: Let’s jump right in.  What types of skills do you use when coaching that you also use as a Division Leader at TLC?
DBell: People skills and the ability to adapt, knowing that each child has different feelings that can change throughout the day are very important. Individual attention on a player-to-player (or camper-to-camper) basis are key to understanding how your “team” works together.

TLC: What do you instill in your team?  Have you implemented any of the STARFISH values with your players?
DBell: We take a lot of pride in being classy and sportsmanlike. Much like STARFISH, the players are accountable for their actions on and off the court. The players must prove that they exemplify qualities like Friendship, Respect and Integrity, whether we win or lose, if they want to be part of the team. These qualities make us such a better person and team, just as they do at camp.

TLC: Basketball is a long season, similar to a summer at TLC – how do you keep the players interested and prepared for each game just like you would for the campers at TLC on a daily basis?
DBell: As a coach & division leader, energy and enthusiasm are key!  If the players or campers see you engaged and excited, it’s contagious!  With the team, our season-long focus is the State Championships, whereas with camp, each day you wake up to be excited about a new activity or special event, but the main one is of course Breakout and Marathon at the end of the summer.

TLC: Coming off your most recent victory, what does it take to win (for all of our Jacobs, Gordon, Melter, and Owners Cup hopefuls out there)?
DBell: Passion and teamwork are the foundation for success.   Having the commitment to give 110% during all the early morning practices, late night workouts, drills and training is the foundation for the road to victory.  Second to that, the team has to learn how to operate together, working towards a common goal – and that can only be done by running the plays and putting in the time. When you see the girls dominate Melter Cup because they practice all summer in the hot sun, you know they’ve done all of that – and who could doubt the passion of the Jacobs Cup players as they handle the pressure of a game with the whole camp watching?  Those are the elements of a successful season.

TLC: What are you most looking forward to at Timber Lake this summer?
DBell: Well, the best part is seeing my camper’s smiling faces when they get off the bus and reconnect with their bunk, eager for the fun of the summer ahead!  I’m counting down the days 🙂

Once again, congrats to Danny Bell and the 2012 state champs!  Hearing about this awesome story got us even more excited for the summer of 2012!

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