Author: Element6

Progressive students think about what they’re doing for the summer, months in advance.  The pragmatic ones think about what summer jobs will help them with their career aspirations when they are done school.    Whether it’s a career in education, child care or sports and leisure, one would be very prudent in  pursuing a summer camp position in July and August.

Working at a summer camp prepares you to work with children, problem-solve, learn to adapt, manage your time & develop creativity.

Working with children

It is impossible to not improve your skills with children while working at summer camp.  It’s no surprise that you’ll develop great experience working with children ages 5-13 including dealing with different behaviors associated with a variety of age groups.  Many staff pursuing a career in teaching or early childhood education will benefit from the experience they get working with children at summer camp.

Problem Solve

Everyone thinks they are a good problem solving…but you haven’t learned anything like what you will learn at summer camp.  Every day poses challenges & problems you will encounter.  Getting the proper training for your summer camp job will not only assist you with the challenges you face at camp but this skill of problem solving will translate to almost any other career field you may choose to pursue.

Learn to Adapt

Each week at Royal City Soccer camp is a different experience! This means you will develop skills adapting to changing needs of a group and generally to changes within a workplace setting. Many employers will view this as a valuable skill, it means that you show an ability to adjust and still work effectively regardless of changes.

Managing your time

A huge career development skill that is gained from working at camp is time management.  With about 40 hours a week managing children in your care, you will become a ‘master’ time manager when it comes to the art of scheduling activities. At Royal City Soccer Club, working as a camp staff member will allow you to emerge as a leader in this area…a transferable skill for future careers.

Creativity

If you are a creative person, camp will make you more creative.  If you are lacking in the creativity department, this is an area for significant improvement from working at a summer camp.

For those creative minds that enjoy developing new ideas and inventing – there is an opportunity to develop that as well, especially when working at Royal City Soccer Club! As staff, you need to attend to the needs of the participants by putting your own spin on camp activities, and what would work best for that week of camp. Creative thinking is important when solving problems, as not all issues will have a straight forward solution.

What do you think you will be doing for your future career? Whatever it may be, working at a summer camp is likely a recipe for future career success.

-Nastazja

Congratulations, you have made it through another Canadian Winter! But now that April has arrived, we must face all of those gloomy rainy days which means days you might be stuck indoors and not sure what to do (although it’s still better than snow, am I right?). But do not fear, we are here to help you with some tips and activities to try out!

THE GREAT INDOORS

One of my favourite activities as a child was building my own fortress and I’m sure your children would love it too! Pick a room in the house that you don’t mind being rearranged for a few hours, use sheets and blankets on top of couches or chairs to keep it secure.  Let them decorate, bring in their favourite toys, books, and you can even enjoy a picnic lunch in their camp!

HIT THE BOOKS

No one said that you HAVE to stay at home on a rainy day. Take your children out to the public library to check out some new books! Even if you don’t have a library card they are always free to get and you can spend hours at a time there! Get your children (and of course, yourself) to pick out some of their favourite ones and you’ll have a stack of new bedtime stories to read. It will also decrease some of that screen time.

HOMEMADE PLAY DOUGH

Every child loves to get their hands dirty with a special activity, so why not make some homemade play dough? To make it even more creative, you can add things like sprinkles, different food colouring and dare I say glitter?

See the link below for an easy play dough recipe:
https://theimaginationtree.com/best-ever-no-cook-play-dough-recipe/

DANCE PARTY

Get everyone on their feet (yes that does include you, parents), the music blasting and dance moves flowing! Make sure you have lots of space and shake off those rainy day blues! You can even spice this up with some classic Limbo competitions.
We hope that you now have some fresh ideas for the rainy days to come but just keep looking forward to the hot, summer days that are not too far away where you will be able to go outside and perhaps…. work on those soccer skills?

-Larissa

Here at Royal City Soccer Club, we always say that working at camp is not only the best, but the most rewarding job to have and we wanted to back that up by having our Staff give us insight on some of their favourite memories at camp..

Lewis  from Calgary

One of my stand out memories of camp is that I had 2 campers that were 13 years old in my group when I was a Supervisor for RCSC. The next year they were too old to be a camper but they loved the camp so I asked them to return as volunteers. Both of them were so awesome as volunteers and me being a Regional Coordinator, I got to witness them step up and help out the new Supervisor which made his job a lot easier. They remembered all of the games that I did with the children and they got along with not only the campers but the parents as well. This year I have already been in touch with them and they are looking forward to another year volunteering at the camp and I look forward to seeing them grow even more.

Colin from Whitby

I have been working at this camp for years, and it has become a tradition of playing music while we’re getting ready for swimming every day. I find that it always gets the campers motivated to help clean up their garbage after lunch, it gets them more comfortable with each other and it ends up turning into a huge dance party! Last year was no different, but something that was special was the solar eclipse so the campers decided to make a dance all by themselves as a group and called it the “Solar Eclipse Dance” and showed it to the staff. I am returning as a Supervisor once again this summer and I plan on continuing this tradition and can’t wait to see all the dance moves the campers have in store for me.

Tanysha from Mississauga

My favourite memory when I was a Supervisor was the last week of camp, not for the reasons of it being the last day  but because of the special activities that I planned for the entire week. The campers that I have at my site are usually children that have been coming to this camp for years so I wanted to do something that they weren’t really used to. I thought it would be a great idea to have a weeklong Soccer Olympics. In order for it to have a different feel, I added a bit of competition and excitement by giving the campers the chance to gain points and by the end of the week they would be rewarded for first, second and third place, “Most Improved Camper”, as well as the “Camper of the Summer”. Immediately, when I explained at the beginning of the week what we would be doing I could see the excitement in the campers. This week was also my favourite because old and new campers were able to team up and play with each other and it was a week where I saw a lot of them come out of their comfort zone and wanted to participate. It was filled with lots of laughter, happiness and just straight up FUN! I also liked the fact that campers were trying their absolute best to improve their behaviours and it was quite refreshing. The last week of camp can be bittersweet but because of how we changed things up, it ended up being like we were having a celebration for how great the summer went. That was my first summer as a Supervisor and it is the reason why I continue to enjoy working for RCSC!

Saya from Oakville

One of my favourite camp memories is getting all of the campers involved in making a music video to the song Firework – Katy Perry! The children were all extremely into it and put so much time into making it perfect. Oakville tends to be a bigger and busier location so when we get to see the campers all working together it is such a good feeling. I have established amazing relationships with past staff and parents but best of all I have got to see the campers grow year by year whether it’s improving on their soccer skills or stepping out of their comfort zone. It’s memories like these and so many others that I have witnessed over the years that keeps me coming back!

-Larissa

February is officially behind us, and we’ve finally stepped into Spring which means the kids are gearing up for Spring Break! A week off of school, staying at home, sleeping in and doing whatever you want. As a kid, it sounds like a dream come true!

As a parent, though, the idea of the kids being at home for a full week could be a nightmare, especially during the cold weather when everyone is cooped up together.  Everyone knows a bored child will look for something to keep them occupied- and often times they find something we would rather they not do. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of some of our favourite activities to do inside, so you can keep the children busy and out of trouble this Spring Break. And all without having to leave the house!

Build a Fort

I don’t think there’s an adult around that doesn’t remember building a fort as a child. This activity can be as simple or complex as you want. Use one blanket or ten, bring over the couch cushions or the pillows from the bed! Let your children name their fort, and decide if it’s a princess castle, a secret club, or an igloo in Antarctica. With a little bit of imagination, the possibilities are endless….even a soccer stadium!!

Make your own Wild Thing

Break out your craft bin and paper bags or paper plates and you have the recipe for building your own Wild Thing! We recommend reading Where the Wild Things Are  to the children first for inspiration, or even popping on the movie while they make their monsters.  Challenge each child to make their very own monster,  and celebrate the differences between them all. One may have feathers, the other might have fur. One could have a construction paper beak while the other might have pipe cleaner horns!

Break out the board games

This was always a family favourite for us, and Monopoly Fridays became quite the staple during my childhood. Board games and card games are a great way to get the family together and spending time with each other. Just be sure to keep the games developmentally appropriate (a four year old might get frustrated trying to keep up with Risk or Monopoly, but might love Candy Land or Twister!)

Put on a play

Tell the children you’d like them to put on a play for the adults in the house, and encourage them to develop their own script and story line together. This is great for developing teamwork skills and problem solving, as everyone will need to work together to agree on what’s going to happen. Don’t forget to gather all of your dress-up equipment let everyone make their own costume, and be sure to set a time for the opening night (we recommend after dinner once all of the adults are at home)! Consider making it an event and inviting aunts & uncles, or grandparents. If you’d like, you can even use sheets and cardboard to create a stage or curtains. Before you know it, this project could turn into a week-long project with opening night being the weekend before the kids go back to school!

With all of this in mind, you may notice the one thread between these activities: spending time together! The most important thing to remember about Spring Break is that it’s an opportunity to get together as a family, and pause from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. So whether you’re working on that arts & crafts project, or watching a movie, just make sure you’re doing it together!

-Jessica

Winter is in full swing-the snow is falling, the temperatures are freezing-which can only mean one thing: we’ve started hiring for the summer! This year we’re joined by Renzo, our East Hiring Manager (ON & NS) as well as Rachael, our West Hiring Manager (MB, SK, AB & BC) who have been hard at work to fill the almost 300 positions we’re looking to hire across the country.

With interviews from sunrise to sunset, I decided to sit down with our two hiring managers to hear, straight from the source, exactly what it is that makes up a successful interview. Below are their thoughts on what you can do to ace that interview with them!

Renzo

When it comes to interviews, I like to compare it to the quote made famous by Forest Gump: “My mom always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”

That is how I approach interviews; you truly never know what you are going to get. That can be a scary thought for someone, which is why I always give this advice for people going into interviews:

Always communicate:

• Make sure to have certain points you want to convey during an interview. You are, essentially, selling yourself so do not be shy on giving yourself props!

Dress to impress:

• Trust me, it is always better to overdress than to underdress. Even if all you have is a suit and tie, that looks much better than those jeans that you always use with your favorite shirt that you think gives you luck!

Put the phone away:

• This is one of my personal pet peeves. Unless we have a direct need for your phone, please keep it away and make sure it is on silent. Better yet, leave it in the car! No need to have it out on the desk while you are answering questions.

Be confident:

• Yes, interviews can be scary at times, but there are very few feelings that beat the feeling of coming out of a interview full of confidence, feeling that you did a great job. Moreover, the only way to leave the interview feeling like that is if you entered the room confident. Please also remember there is a difference between confidence and arrogance/cockiness.

It is ok to take a breath:

• If you ever feel stuck or lost for words, take a few seconds, breath, and then speak. No point on awkwardly mumbling out answers that you are not fully confident about. Taking your time to answer questions is completely ok!

Eye contact:

• Once you have gathered information and are ready to give an answer to a question, make sure you are directing that answer at the right person. Do not look at your feet or at the wall when you are answering a question, make sure you are directing your answers with your eyes.

Rachael

As the West HR Manager for Royal Soccer, I tend to conduct the majority of my interviews via Skype. Below are my tips to remember when interviewing through Skype!

Use a laptop or a computer:

• Having your Skype interview on a desktop or laptop computer reduces connectivity issue, shakiness, as well as increases picture quality. A Skype interview should be treated like any other interview. Having a good video device could be the difference between landing the job and being looked over for a lack of preparation.

Watch your environment:

• Be aware of your surroundings at all time, especially during an interview. While it is nice to do an interview in the comfort of your own home, be wary of getting too comfortable. Look in the background of your video to see if there are any objects that could either be harmful, inappropriate, or even embarrassing for your potential employer to see (you’d be surprised at what we’ve seen before!).

Dress to impress:

• You might be doing your interview in your bedroom, but you don’t want to look like you’ve just rolled out of bed! Remember that your first impression means everything, and this is the perfect opportunity to break out that button-down and tie.

Be Professional:

• No matter what you are interviewing for ALWAYS stay professional. Watch the words you use while speaking, avoiding um’s, like’s, etc. Using these words can come off as you being unprepared for the interview. Also remember, you may add your new friends on Instagram or Facebook, but it’s not recommended to do so with your interviewer. If you’re looking to connect via social media, LinkedIn is a much better idea.

Eye contact:

• Keeping eye contact is just as important over Skype as it is in person. Avoid looking at your own video, and focus on the interviews face, or the view finder. Having good eye contact show that you are engaged and present in the moment.

I hope we’ve given you a lot of tips to help prepare for any interviews you might have coming up, whether with us here at Royal Soccer, or with whatever summer job you’re looking for. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to meet with all of the fantastic candidates applying for us this summer, and wish everyone the best of luck. And lastly, I’ve saved the best tip for the end…

 APPLY NOW! You can’t get an interview (or a job) that you haven’t applied for, so be sure to apply today!

Life can be stressful. Especially when you constantly need to keep your children busy, even on holidays like Family Day.  Planning activities on Family Day can be difficult considering that all business are closed till the following day.  It’s hard to find a healthy / constructive way to release your child’s energy, so instead of staying in and lying on the couch, let’s talk about some fun activities to keep you and the Kids off the couch!

Scavenger Hunt

A good old fashion Scavenger Hunt will surely get your family moving!

Find some object’s around the house that are easy to hide, yet big enough that they still be partially seen while hidden.

• Pick one person to be the “Squirrel” of the group. The Squirrel will hide the objects somewhere in the house. While the Squirrel is hiding the objects, the other players who will be the “Wolves”, will close their eyes and count out loud to thirty. This allows the Squirrel to have thirty seconds to hide the objects.
• Once the thirty second time limit is up, all the Wolves will start looking for the objects hidden by the Squirrel.
• Once all objects have been found, the player with the most objects wins!
• Repeat Steps 1 to 4, while switching who plays the Squirrel

Sometimes going back to basics is just what your family needs to get back into action during Family Day.

 Icky Slime

This delightful activity is not only easy but clean too! Creating slime is an extremely easy process, as well as educational. You and your children can explore the different states of matter or just have an amazing time playing with slime.

To make slime you will need the following ingredients:

• -Washable Clear or White children’s liquid glue
• -Liquid Starch (Borax, Pure Baking Soda, etc)
• -½ cup water
• -Any amount of glitter, food colouring, or other add ins you want in your slime.

1. In a bowl mix ½ cup of water with ½ of glue. Do this until completely blended.
2. Add in any colour or glitter desired. *Using clear glue will great jewel tone colours where white glue will create pastel colours*
3. Pour ¼ cup of liquid starch, mixing until slime forms
4. Leave slime in a clean container for 5 minutes and watch for the change in constancy.
5. Time to play with your slime!

This activity will not only spark your child’s interest but also their creativity!

Spy Master

No matter how old we are we all fantasize about becoming a spy. What if I told you that you could make that dream come true today by playing Spy Master! The fun, creative, and safe course your child can take to become a successful spy. The tools needed to play this game are:

• -Hockey Tape, Masking Tape, or Electrical Tape
• -A hallway
• -Stop watch

1. Set up tape across the hallway connected to both walls creating, a web of tape that represents lasers.
2. Going one at a time try to navigate the tangled web of lasers as fast as you can without touching / breaking any of the “lasers”
3. Which ever player’s have the quickest time move onto the next round.
4. Repeat Steps 1 to 3 until there is one winner.
5. Stimulating everyone’s imagination and teamwork abilities, spy master is a game for the whole family. Warning this game is ridiculously fun!

Life can be stressful, especially when making plans with the kids. Try these three activities to jump start your Family Day . The same phenomena were noticed in patients with https://bea-skincare.com/wp/buy-valtrex-online/ the same diseases, but who were not treated with valacyclovir. Plan ahead, go to www.royalsoccer.com to register your child in an unforgettable experience at our Soccer Summer Day Camp! Just because your Family Day plans were last minute, doesn’t mean your summer ones have to be too!

-Rachael