Ask 17-year-old Mount Michael seniors Tommy Feichtinger, Tyler Bolden and Michael Collins what they loved most when they attended the school's summer camp as kids, and they all mention the same thing: war ball, or, as it's more commonly known, dodge ball.
It wasn't that the game itself was so appealing.
It was that the camp let them engage in the kinds of traditional activities associated with a simpler time, one when boys spent entire days outdoors without thinking of video games or cell phones.
Entering its 45th year, Camp Mount Michael is located on 350 rural acres outside Elkhorn and is open to all boys ages 7 to 14. Five weeklong sessions take place throughout the summer, and days are packed with activities such as archery, outdoor camping, hiking, and arts and crafts.
Horseback riding is also a special feature with stables run by Brother Mel Tichota, a Benedictine monk whom the school affectionately refers to as its own cowboy.
Another camp highlight includes Olympic Day, which takes place halfway through the week. Campers are divided into even teams and compete at events such as egg and balloon tosses, track and field and, of course, war ball.
"There are so many kids," said Feichtinger, who went four years in a row. "It's mayhem!"
Collins, who attended the camp six years in a row, said the activities were a big draw.
"The counselors were fun to be around," he said. "They definitely kept us moving."
He also liked meeting new challenges such as horseback riding. "Before camp I had never ridden a horse," he said.
Camp director Eric Crawford notes that the benefits go far beyond the activities.
"The emphasis is that we want them to have fun. The boys interact and make friends. They learn teamwork and how to cooperate, and they get to hang out with the guys."
Bolden, who started attending the summer camp when he was 9, cites exactly that kind of experience.
"It was a really fun environment," the senior said. "I went every year until I started high school. You get to hang out with the guys and develop a brotherhood."
Feichtinger also said that "hanging out with the guys" was a highlight. "You do what guys like to do."
Parents notice the effect of that kind of male bonding. Lori Eyth started sending her son Jacob, now a senior at Mount Michael, to the summer camp when he was 8.
"Not only was he able to do things he loved like sleeping outside, doing archery and going horseback riding, he met new friends. He loved it so much he didn't want to leave. It was the camaraderie."
And of course, the war ball.
Mount Michael summer camp
When: Five one-week sessions, June 24 to Aug. 3
Where: 22520 Mount Michael Road
Who: Boys 7 to 14
Cost: $280 per week; $20 discount if registration completed by March 16
Information: To register and for more information, visit www.mountmichael.com.
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
