GREENFIELD – While most local children have been spending their carefree summers in Hancock County with a local camp or Bible school here or there, one Greenfield dad recently spent a week with his two boys in a military-style boot camp for kids in Vermont.
Devon Brown was a counselor at Camp Spartan in Pittsfield, Vt.
His sons Dominic, 11, and Gabriel, 8, joined in for rigorous challenges, from cold water plunges to mountain climbing and plenty of burpees.
Camp Spartan is designed for children ages 8-17 who want to push themselves and reach their true potential, according to a press release from Spartan, a national obstacle course race and endurance brand. The camp demonstrates that with hard work, determination and true grit, any obstacle can be overcome.
For Devon Brown and his wife, Allison, that’s something they want to instill in their children now so when life’s challenges come their way, they’ll be ready to face them head-on.
“We believe in doing tough things,” Devon Brown said, adding that his boys are involved in several sports locally. “The kids are always involved in something. We don’t care what they get involved in as long as they’re involved. We just don’t believe a bunch of electronics and video games is more fun for kids given the choice to be outside and do stuff.”
Any child given the choice of a basketball camp, a church camp or Camp Spartan would certainly choose Camp Spartan last, Brown admits. It’s grueling.
Even so, the lessons learned will be lifelong.
“As a dad, I’m very proud of my kids for going,” Brown said. “As a counselor, it is an amazing thing. I get the reputation from the kids as one of the hard counselors but it’s amazing. They’ll pull me aside, they’ll share wins and we’ll see growth when they come back the next year.”
Wake-up was at 5 a.m. daily, and children had to be out on the field dressed and ready to go by 5:15. They plunged into 50-degree spring-fed stream each morning and continued each day with workouts, mountain climbing, team-building activities and more. For half of the days, they ate military ready-to-eat (MRE) rations, and were taught how to heat and prepare them. They also spent a few days at Norwich University, a private military college where they learned from cadets.
This is Brown’s third year as a counselor at the camp, and the boys have come each time as a participant, or unofficial observers based on their age. He’s not as interested in a military lifestyle for his kids so much as he wants them to grow in learning how to persevere through challenges.
Gabriel said he can already tell he’s taken away good habits from the camp, like being able to get up in the morning for school and get ready on his own quickly.
Dominic has had a strong year swimming and running, and he said part of that was because of the grit he learned from Camp Spartan over the years. While others may be stronger athletically, Dominic said, he has the stamina to keep going when the sports get tough.
“I just learned to get through it and not quit and not stop,” Dominic said.
Brown, a personal trainer, has a third son – Chase might join in Camp Spartan next year. Mom Allison is a local nurse and took part in the camp in 2023 as a cook and a nurse.
“We do a lot of sports and we’ve had curveballs in the past,” Brown said, “As a dad and as a man you always ask yourself, can I make it through the next big challenge? I look at opportunities like this to help with that answer.”
For more on Camp Spartan, visit peakraces.com/camp-spartan.
