Camp Lucy Summer 2025: Points, Stickers, and Kindness
It was the Monday of Week 2 at Camp Lucy, and the Renton boathouse was buzzing with energy. Fifteen girls—some returning to Camp this year, some brand new—started the morning with yoga in the park by the boathouse, stretching, breathing, and centering themselves for the day ahead.
Back at the boathouse, they dove into sticker making, filling the floor of the boathouse office with bright colors, empowering words, and fun visuals that celebrated being Strong, Powerful, Supported, and Brave. A point system on the whiteboard tracked campers’ achievements, and Coach Izzy floated through the room, calm and observant. “I’m giving you all a point before lunch for being quiet and focused during sticker making,” she announced, and the girls beamed.
One camper raised a hand: “Do we get a point for yoga?”
Another giggled, “Well, at least we weren’t body slamming each other!”
Izzy laughed, then reminded them gently, “Being kind is the baseline here. Everything else—points, rewards, achievements—starts from that foundation.”
When Izzy told the campers about being kind, Coach Catherine reflected, “I was listening to a radio show on my drive here, and the author talked about being nice and being kind—and how they’re different. Something to think about.”
A quick Google search says that being nice is polite; being kind is intentional. What you’re doing—listening, helping, encouraging—that’s kind. Izzy uses the word kind, instead of nice, intentionally.
Coach Catherine, a retired teacher and Master's rower from Mount Baker Rowing and Sailing Center, volunteered her time to support Camp Lucy alongside Amy Perez, an experienced coach from Eastside Prep. Though they hadn’t met before this camp, their chemistry was immediate and effortless. While the campers were creating stickers, Catherine assisted Amy in organizing the afternoon rowing session on the water, the two of them laughing, brainstorming, and moving with a shared energy that inspired both the campers and each other.
Coach Catherine and Coach Amy on the dock
By lunch, stickers were everywhere, and fifteen campers had already learned one of Camp Lucy’s most important lessons: true strength is about building each other up, one kind act at a time.
During lunch, a camper approached Coach Catherine, eyes wide with excitement. “Last time when I was rowing, I didn’t catch a crab!” they exclaimed.
Catherine smiled. “How did you prevent it?”
The camper thought for a moment, then said, “I had more control over the… thingy.” She paused, then added with a huge grin, “I was so proud of myself!” Her joy was contagious, and Catherine couldn’t help but beam back at them.
It’s clear that what is happening at Camp Lucy is intentional; campers are growing their confidence, and as Catherine put it, “having deep conversations.”
The heart of Camp Lucy lies in its unwavering commitment to being both purpose-driven and inclusive—a free, trauma-informed rowing program honoring Lucy Pocock’s legacy by uplifting girls who face systemic barriers through empowerment and meaningful access to the sport. Grounded in holistic growth, the camp reinforces social-emotional skills, confidence, and leadership via thoughtfully structured daily activities that weave together rowing, themed workshops, and joyful experiences. Built as a community-driven ecosystem, it intentionally cultivates leaders from within: campers evolve into future coaches and mentors, sustaining and enriching the program. Above all, kindness is its foundation—with every point awarded for thoughtful behavior and every interaction shaped by empathetic, intentional coaching, Camp Lucy places empathy and empowerment at the core of its mission.
Camp Lucy isn’t just a rowing camp—it’s a community cultivator, a confidence-maker, and a bridge to leadership. It’s where young women become strong, powerful, supported, and brave—and learn they truly can do that.
