Why Camp Lucy Matters More than Ever
Today’s girls are growing up in a world of constant comparison, pressure, and isolation. Social media places unrealistic expectations on young people every day, often leaving them feeling disconnected, anxious, and “less than.”
The numbers are alarming.
Girls today are facing rising levels of anxiety, isolation, and pressure to be perfect. In Washington State, nearly 30% of 10th graders reported persistent depressive feelings in 2023. At the same time, nearly half of adolescent girls are leaving sports during adolescence - often losing one of the most powerful sources of confidence, belonging, and resilience available to them.
Youth sports have the power to change these outcomes. Physical activity reduces stress and improves mood, while team environments help young people build resilience, confidence, and healthy relationships.
But access to sports is shrinking.
The Aspen Institute reports that kids from the lowest-income households participate in sports at far lower rates than kids from wealthier families, as the youth sports industry - now estimated at more than $40 billion annually - increasingly prices out under-resourced families.
At the George Pocock Rowing Foundation, we believe rowing is more than a sport. It can be a lifeline - offering strength, belonging, and community when young people need it most.
That’s why Camp Lucy exists.
Camp Lucy was created to be an antidote to these pressures.
This free, ten-day summer program helps middle school girls discover what it feels like to be Strong, Powerful, Supported, and Brave. Through rowing, hands-on learning, team challenges, and social-emotional learning, girls build far more than athletic skills. They build confidence, self-worth, and connection.
At Camp Lucy, girls:
Move their bodies with purpose, from rowing on the water to turning wrenches in the boathouse.
Connect with mentors and teammates who uplift and encourage them.
Step away from social media and into real-world experiences that build confidence and an authentic identity.
Discover their own strength through teamwork, resilience, and belonging.
Take Nina, for example.
When Nina was 11, her mom saw a sign for Camp Lucy. One word stood out: free.
That word mattered. Because for many families, the barrier isn’t interest — it’s access.
Nina arrived at Camp Lucy not really knowing what rowing was or where it might lead. But something clicked. She found strength she didn’t know she had, a team she felt part of, and a place where she belonged.
What started as a couple of weeks at Camp Lucy changed her trajectory.
After camp, Nina joined Pocock Youth Rowing and committed herself to the steady, everyday work of getting better. Over time, the transformation was visible not just in how she rowed, but in how she carried herself. Today, she is the youngest U19 rower on her team.
At an age when many girls begin stepping away from sports, Nina found a reason to stay.
She found her people.
She found confidence.
She found belonging.
And now, she wants to come back to Camp Lucy as a counselor or coach so she can help another girl experience that same sense of possibility.
Because for Nina, rowing didn’t just become a sport.
It became a place where she could grow into herself.
At Camp Lucy, we are building the next generation of strong, compassionate leaders: girls who carry resilience, courage, and connection far beyond the boat.
And it takes all of us to make that possible.
