Todd Seideman is one happy camper.
He has all the energy and goofy enthusiasm of a big kid, a trait that’s perfect for the 35-year-old’s newest job as director of Summer Trails Day Camp in Somers.
One of his favorite parts of each day is morning drop-off when pom-pom waving staffers line up to cheer for equally excited incoming campers.
“The kids are screaming. They love coming here, getting out of that car, and just being ready to rock,” he said. “The atmosphere’s absolutely electric; that’s what we’re all about.”
Coming in at a very close second is Friday assembly, which Seideman calls “a nice time to get the whole camp together to kind of wrap up the week.”
Why does he like it so much?
Well, for one, it’s another opportunity for campers to step out of their comfort zone, try new things, and become the best version of themselves, Seideman said
(The camp was founded in 1974 by the Silverstein, Durling, and Davidson families. Its motto is “Be a Trailblazer.” It was purchased about three years ago by Tony Stein, Mark Newfield, and Gordon Josey, who also run Horizon Camps.)
Sometimes Seideman will get up on stage himself, do a silly dance, sing a song, or pie a counselor in the face.
“I like to be loud. I mean, you only have one life to live, so why take everything so seriously all the time?” he said.
In his mind, camp’s a place to “step away from the chaotic, real world, be in this bubble, and create some magic for kids.”
Recalling her own childhood days, this reporter noted that then parents could shoo you out the door in the morning and not expect you home until the streetlights came on.
You could play in the woods for 12 hours and there was no fear that something – other than maybe a bad case of poison ivy or a skinned knee – would happen to you, she reminded Seideman.
“I’m glad you mentioned that. As much as I love the goofy, rah-rah side, I understand that parents are sending their most prized possession to us. I take that very seriously,” he said, adding that one of his goals is that that child not only comes back “the same way they left in the morning” but they “come back a better version of themselves.”
The camp hires staffers who, he said, “have the tools to teach these kids how to be a good friend, how to lose as well as win, how to make personal connections.”
The last reference means that internet-enabled devices such as smartphones are verboten.
“We’re completely unplugged,” said Seideman. “You’re outdoors, in nature. Once you roll through the gate here it’s just camp.”
“We’re really just trying to make it all about connecting in person, rather than through a screen. It’s hard nowadays to do that, but I think that parents really appreciate it,” he explained.
This season, which started on June 30, there’s a Monday assembly as well.
“We’re going to start the week as a full camp family and end it as a family as well,” he said when interviewed in May.
On Fridays, they plan to award “Golden Trailblazer” bracelets to “any kid who went above and beyond, was nice to someone, showed good sportsmanship … just all the things we want in our community,” Seideman said, adding: “When they get called up in front of the whole camp, it’s really special.”
A plaque with their names on it is displayed in the camp’s main building.
Seideman, who grew up in Short Hills, N.J., started his outdoorsy journey at the tender age of five at Jeff Lake, a “very traditional” day camp.
After a few summers there, he went off to sleepaway camps, including Echo Lake in upstate New York. That started in the fourth grade and went through his junior year at high school.
“Eight weeks. Literally the entire summer. My mom and dad said: ‘See ya later!” Seideman said with a big grin.
(His older brother and his parents were enthusiastic campers as well.)
In fact, it was the Echo Lake connection that led Seideman to Summer Trails. The former’s owner was one of the ones who bought the latter three years ago.
“How were you as a camper? Did you write mom and dad every five minutes asking to come home?” the reporter asked, thinking of the late parodist Allan Sherman’s hilarious homage to the ultimate unhappy camper, “Hello Muddah. Hello Faddah,” aka the Camp Grenada song.
“I was the complete opposite. I was like an Energizer Bunny, always running around, having a good time, laughing, cracking jokes, very spirited,” Seideman chuckled. “I loved EVERY second of it.”
Camp was so much a of his DNA that “Hello Muddah” was part of the song montage at his Bar Mitzvah bash.
He went on to graduate from Ithaca College with a degree in health education.
Seideman was a substitute teacher for a few years and then went on to work for a car rental company where he honed his management and customer service skills.
Eventually, he got back into the camping world year-round.
“I knew I always wanted to work with children, just because of the experience I had as a camper and the impact that it had on me,” he said, adding: “I always wanted to give back and give these kids the same experience if not better than what I had.”
Seideman still lives in the Garden State with his wife, Sam, a marketing director for a pet food company, four-month-old son Rory, and two pooches, Brody and Missy.
So, naturally, the transition from camper to counselor to full-time administrator was an easy one.
Seideman’s cozy office is colorfully decorated with New York Jets and other sports posters, memorabilia from camps where he’s either worked or attended, and a stuffie version of “Jaws the Turtle,” the camp’s cheese puff-chomping mascot.
It’s a real family affair.
Ensconced nearby are the two longtime members of Summer Trails’ leadership team: Associate Director Debi Kelly and Operations Manager Dave Parent.
(Both could have their own memories to share, but that’s a story for another day.)
Kelly, a lifelong Yorktown resident, was a Summer Trails camper herself. On the staff in various positions -- including head lifeguard -- since 1995, she joined the year-round cohort in 2008. Previously she had spent some time working in schools.
Kelly’s two children, Kieran and Quinn, appear to be following in her footsteps and can often be spotted enjoying the camp’s playground.
She has a master’s degree from SUNY Plattsburgh in school psychology and a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Sacred Heart University.
When not working, Kelly likes to travel, hit the beach, or hang out with her “two ginormous dogs.”
A native of Wyoming, Parent lives in Mahopac with his wife, Sandy, and their two daughters, Danica and Delaney, both of whom have grown up at Summer Trails and sleepaway camps.
Parent has a bachelor of science degree in business administration with concentrations in economics and finance from the University of West Florida.
The avid golfer and Jimmy Buffett fan’s been with the camp since 2007.
According to Seideman, people who’ve attended Summer Trails decades ago are pleasantly surprised when they come back later to find that it still has the “same feel.”
(Full disclosure. This reporter went to a day camp in Mohegan Lake a few – OK, 55 – years ago. It hasn’t physically changed much -- at least according to her latest nostalgia-fueled drive-bys.)
“That’s something we never want to lose. We’re very down to earth. The environment’s family-oriented, closeknit,” he said, adding: “Everyone feels like this is their summer home.”
Seideman makes a point of meeting with families – especially if they’re new to Summer Trails – before camp starts.
“First, the child gets to see a familiar face, to gain a sense of comfort, to get to look at the camp and get excited about what they see. They’ll remember Todd the director. If they ever have a problem, they know they can come to him right away,” he said. “I try to make that personal connection so they know from Day 1 that they have a safe space they can go to.”
New this year are the categories to which campers are assigned.
The youngest campers are “Explorers;” first- and second-graders, “Adventurers;” third- and fourth-graders, “Navigators;” fifth- through eighth-graders, “Pioneers;” ninth- and 10th-graders “Leaders in Training,” and staff members, “Blazers.”
Then there’s the practical stuff: medical forms to fill out, backpacks to stuff with bathing suits, towels, and sunscreen; and the lay of the land to suss out (ie, where the bathrooms and water stations are).
Lunch is catered with kid-friendly foods like chicken fingers, hot dogs, and pizza, but campers can pack their own. Allergies and food preferences are duly noted. Juice boxes are handed out.
Calendars listing special events such as “Pink Day” – think pink socks, balloons, and pink lemonade – are sent to parents.
These also an app with photos and updates.
“I always tell families that we overcommunicate. We do that for a reason. You’re trusting us with your child and we want to make sure that you’re aware of everything that’s going on,” Seideman said.
“That’s kinda why I still do this, I get to be a big kid, with responsibility. I stress that to the staff when I hire them. It’s like, literally, you get to be a big camper, but you have a tremendous amount of responsibility while doing that,” he said.
Working with children takes patience, empathy, and understanding.
Sometime listening is more powerful than talking, Seideman said, noting that adults have to be willing to “get on their level and hear them out.”
“I think that at the end of the day it’s just understanding that we’ve all been there before, and children aren’t trying to be frustrating, they’re just still learning and growing,” he added.
While maintaining that homey touch is important, the camp likes to keep its offerings and facilities up to date, Seideman said.
It recently invested in a zip line, ninja warrior course, new fencing, and a tricycle “course” for the little ones.
What about the competition?
There are still a few traditional day camps in the area as well as newer versions that specialize in very specific programs such as technology or basketball and other sports.
“The nice thing about us is that you can be swimming in the pool, and then zipping across our pond, and then playing mini golf or pickle ball with your friends. It’s a wide variety of things that kids can try,” Seideman said.
Those include music, nature study, drama, dance, rock wall climbing, archery, baseball, soccer, and arts and crafts.
(For the full menu of activities and other pertinent information, check out www.summertrailsdaycamp.com.)
While there’s no taking dips in the pond – no alligators either, sorry Sherman -- there are two heated swimming pools and plenty of water-related fun such as row boating, paddle boating, and fishing.
The camp doesn’t have a ton of buildings, but rainy days don’t spoil the fun because it has several “WeatherPort” structures that can be used for athletics, fitness classes such as yoga, or simply places to chill out and play board games.
There’s also a new outdoor stage near the pond.
Looking at the list of activities, it felt to this reporter like being in a big old-fashioned diner where the menu just goes on and on and on.
“It is a lot,” Seideman agreed. “There’s at least 10 activities a day that are scheduled for them. At 30 minutes a pop, it’s fast-paced.”
“I tell families – they love to hear this – that their children will come home tired and dirty but happy. So it’s bath time, dinner, and then they’re ready to go to bed and start another day,” Seideman said.
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