From Camper to Future Counselor: YMCA Summer Camps Keep Families Coming Back Year After Year

At YMCA Camp Cristina, summer camp isn’t just a season; it’s a journey, one that helps shape confidence, independence and lifelong connections. Few stories capture the heart of that journey better than Vinh’s.

Vinh first walked through the doors of YMCA Camp Cristina in 2019, freshly five years old and eager for his next adventure. What began as participation in the Y’s Afterschool program quickly grew into Kids Day Out camps, Parents’ Night Out and youth sports. Before long, Vinh discovered what so many children experience at the YMCA: summer camp becomes the highlight of the year and a place where kids feel they truly belong.

Like many families, Vinh’s parents were searching for a safe, supportive environment where their child could stay active, build confidence and form meaningful friendships. They found all of that, and more, at YMCA Camp Cristina. Over the next seven years, Vinh spent nearly every day engaged in Y programs, growing alongside peers and mentors in a community that quickly felt like a second home.

At camp, Vinh learned more than just new games and skills. He developed independence, teamwork and resilience, surrounded by counselors who encouraged him to try new things and believe in himself. Whether exploring new activities, strengthening friendships or simply having fun outdoors, each experience helped shape his growth year after year.

Today, Vinh is in middle school, but his YMCA journey is far from over. He continues to attend Kids Day Out programs and still looks forward to summer camp each year.

In 2025, he reached an exciting milestone by joining the YMCA’s Leader in Training program, taking his first steps from camper to counselor. This program allows teens to build leadership skills, gain responsibility and begin giving back to the same community that helped shape them.

Now, the next generation of the family is joining in the fun. Vinh’s five-year-old sister, Ivy, is following closely in his footsteps, experiencing her own YMCA adventures at Camp Cristina. Her journey is just beginning, but it’s already clear that the Y has become a meaningful part of the family’s life, proof that once families find the YMCA, they tend to stay.

Stories like Vinh’s reflect why YMCA summer camps consistently earn high satisfaction and retention from families year after year. With flexible options including full-day camps, specialty camps, half-day camps for younger campers and even adult camps designed to keep grown-ups active and connected, the YMCA offers something for every age and stage of life.

“Our camps are designed to grow with our members,” said Meagan Springer, Executive Director at YMCA Camp Cristina. “From a child’s first camp experience to leadership development, we’re proud to create programs that families trust and return to year after year.”

As summer approaches, the YMCA invites families, both new and returning, to discover why so many campers don’t just attend for a season, but for a lifetime.

For more information about YMCA summer camps or to register your child, visit https://tampaymca.org/letscamp.