By Noah Stein
On one of those perfect summer afternoons in July, much of camp descended upon the tennis courts for third period. Usually when campers arrive at a project they are excited to participate in the activity! But that afternoon was different: they were there to watch. They had gathered to witness something special. A Lumberjack had challenged Mario to a match.
It was an attempt by the Lumberjack to earn the most elusive award in our tennis program, called the Davis Cup. Earning the Davis Cup is pretty simple on the surface: beat each member of our tennis staff in a match. The Lumberjack, a high-school tennis player who had been crafting his skills for years, had handily defeated each of our other talented tennis instructors. Only Mario remained, which would make matters less simple.
Mario, the director of our tennis program is a phenomenal instructor and also happens to be a professional tennis player. To win would be no small task for the Lumberjack. But he didn’t shy away from the challenge, he leaned into it.
The match was a display of heart. Of all-out effort. A high-schooler returning a professional’s serves. Intense rallies with both players zipping across the base line followed by heated volleys at the net. A fifteen-year-old underdog, trying as hard as he could, sharing the court with someone who made a career with his racquet.
The scene surrounding the match was a site to behold as well. Campers of all ages sat on the side of the Swamper Hill speaking only in hushed whispers out of respect for the players. A couple Lumberjacks who volunteered as ball boys stood at the ready on either side of the net, dashing along the court’s edge to retrieve balls and toss them back to the players. A few Axemen served as photojournalists, cameras in tow, roaming the perimeter of the court looking for the perfect shot under the watchful guidance of our camp photographer.
Meanwhile a group of Loggers, perched atop the stone retaining wall parallel to the court, served as Mario’s “coaches.” After each set Mario beelined to his coaching crew, seeking their advice on technique and strategy in spite of his extensive resume. With all of this unfolding simultaneously it felt like a camp-ified version of a professional match.
The Lumberjack wore a stoic expression throughout the match, rarely breaking focus. He appeared oblivious to the crowd, the cameras, the ball boys and Mario’s coaches. With each point he won, cheers replaced the whispers on the hillside. When he won a game the cheers escalated into roaring applause.
Though the Lumberjack left everything on the court, he ultimately lost the match. It was only after the final point that his poker face cracked, giving way to a victorious– yes, victorious– smile. Meeting Mario at the net he shook his opponent’s hand and soon his cabinmates and friends took to the court to congratulate him as well.
While the Lumberjack lost the match, he won in a bigger way. The audience recognized it too. If you had walked past that tennis court after the final point, you might not have guessed the outcome. The crowd rose in a standing ovation cheering more loudly than at any other moment during the match. The Lumberjack’s victorious smile and the fans’ celebration had nothing to do with the score, and everything to do with a camper whose actions transcended the game. His win wasn’t achieving the Davis Cup, it was giving it his best, drawing on years of training, and embodying one of Nebagamon’s most cherished mantras: Win Or Lose Be A Good Sport.
The crowd deserves credit as well. Together, they transformed a typical afternoon at camp into a project period for the ages; from the ball boys facilitating play, to the photographers adding an air of importance to the match, to everyone else on the Hill supporting the Lumberjack as he took a risk and fell short. They still celebrated him for his effort.
None of this could have happened without Mario either: a coach who believed so much in his student that he empowered him to play a match he probably wouldn’t win. A coach who allowed Loggers to take on roles as advisers, and who after the match, addressed the crowd congratulating the Lumberjack for playing his heart out and thanking the fans for creating a space where he was able to do that.
While the match and the surrounding spectacle were unique, camp is filled with moments like that one. Every day, campers take on challenges and build each other up on their journey to do the same. Ordinary moments turn to lasting memories and Campers become the heroes they all are.
It was an afternoon we’ll all remember… and just another day at Camp Nebagamon.
Wishing the Camp Family a 2026 filled with days like those.
Our 8th graders will embark on “Big Trip” to Isle Royale National Park, the largest Island in Lake Superior for 14 days, if they so choose, while Big Trip for our 9th graders will take them to Quetico Provincial Park for 14 days of canoeing the Canadian wilderness. 
Between our Big Brother- Little Brother, OBR (older boy responsible) programs, and organic moments that occur every day, opportunities for older campers to mentor younger campers abound at Nebagamon. This summer we’re excited to keep building on our Big Brother and OBR programs, including additional structured opportunities for Big Brothers and Little Brothers to connect, and more opportunities for OBR’s to learn counseling techniques and put them to use working with younger campers. 
5th Grade – Henry Bader, Beckett Bernfeld, Aiken Colman, Sammy Firestone, Carter Gray, Dylan Greene, Gage Holloway, Sam Kotin, Ryan Levin, Aiden Naft, Jeffers Pickard, Ray Temkin, Josh Wallenstein, Nyan Wynn
10th – Randy Miller