Honoring Kids

At K-Kountry we have two goals every day: Give praise to the Lord, and honor kids. Those two goals are the mission behind everything we do, whether it be throwing crazy parties, or going down the ziplines, we want an opportunity for every kid here to feel like a million dollars. One of those opportunities is Track and Field day.

We love Track and Field day because it gives everyone a chance to root for their tribe and get behind every single kid. Standing at the finish line especially is something hard to forget, as kids come rushing at you giving everything they have. Just to be able to see the smiles on their faces as counselors and kids alike pour heapings of praise once they have finished the race is truly something special.

After we have finished our morning at the track, the komos and kuks go our separate ways for some more afternoon tribal competition. The komos beat the heat at the pool with a swim meet, while the kuks continue the tradition of Air it Out football.

Teams from the Big 10, Big 12, SEC, ACC, and more are represented as Cherokees and Choctaws fight it out on the gridiron to find a champion. Once only two teams remain, a Cherokee champion and Choctaw champion, we head to dinner and prepare for the championship game that night.

It may be said here a lot, but the Air it Out Championship is without a doubt one of the most magical nights in kamp. Memories are made here that will last far longer than the duration of the game. Whether that be because of the game itself, or the wild characters found in the crowd. Because what other flag football game can you go to that has a chicken playing a drum, a man with a USA fro, a fisherman wondering around with a 10 foot fish, Lou Holtz, and a dare devil attempting to hurdle a golf cart?

Aside from the pageantry, the game itself was nothing short of amazing! Both the Cherokees and Choctaws fought unbelievably hard, as the game went in to 5 overtimes. Something that never has been seen before in an Air it Out Championship game before, and may never be seen again. Once the game was over, though was the greatest thing that happened that night. Friendships were made on both teams, regardless of jersey color or tribe. As soon as the game was over, the game's MVP made a b-line straight for the opposing team to congratulate them on how hard they had just worked. To see the camaraderie grow amongst these competitors was better than anything else that could've been seen that night.

All in all, not a bad way to kick off the summer!