“Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win.” (1 Corinthians 9:24)

This was the inspiration for the theme of this year’s ECYD Middle School Boys National Tournament – “Run so as to win!” The tournament was held February 17^th-20^th at Sacred Heart Apostolic School in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, and over the weekend, ECYD members and teams from around North America participated in ECYD’s national winter games and competed in tournaments to take the gold home to their cities. This year, seven teams of boys in 5^th-8^th grade from Louisiana, Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, New York, and Florida gathered to play in tournaments that included basketball, football, fubito, floor hockey, handball, and dodgeball. They also participated in a live Clue Action game and a manhunt, and spent an entire day downhill skiing. The tournament weekend concluded with Mass and the ECYD Pledge of Friendship Ceremony, during which the boys renewed their Pledge of Friendship with Christ, and one boy made the pledge for the first time.

The tournament was run by Fr. Patrick O’Loughlin, LC, who is the director of ECYD Life Department, and Brother Joseph Geiger, LC, the Assistant ECYD Director in Atlanta. “I love seeing the boys grow up and arriving to compete with fresh energy and more maturity each year, deepening their friendship with Christ and other boys from around the country,” says Fr. Patrick. “This year Indiana took home the gold – it was fantastic to see their hard work, team work and great sportsmanship throughout!”
You can check out all the fun the boys had at the ECYD Middle School Boys National Tournament in this video posted by Fr. Jaime Lorenzo, LC, who serves as the ECYD Director in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and on the Northshore.

And although this year’s national tournament has come and gone, the ECYD summer camps are fast approaching!

Upcoming Girls ECYD Camps
Girls ECYD Camps are unique experiences for girls from 5^th-12^th grade to grow in their Catholic faith and make lasting friendships. At camp, girls ages 10-18 will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities and will enjoy prayer and spiritual growth through participation in Mass and Confession. Sports, games, workshops, team dynamics, exciting night activities, swimming, and fun in the sun, are typical ECYD camp activities. There are over a dozen ECYD Girls summer camps happening in 11 different states in June and July:
Challenge Camp will be held at Camp Cho-Yeh in Livingston, Texas June 13^th-16^th. Email Carrie Frain for more information.

Challenge 5th/6th Grade Camp 2 is being held at Camp River Ridge in Oldenburg, Indiana, and will feature bonfires, creeking, and horseback riding.

Washington, DC is hosting two ECYD Girls camps this summer: LTP Girls Day Camp: Daughters of the King is a half-day camp that will run June 19^th-23^rd and is geared towards girls in 2^nd-5^th grade, while ECYD Summer Camp  is an overnight camp on June 25^th-30^th for 5th-9th grade girls and 10th-12th grade leaders.

ECYD Summer Camp Tekakwitha 1.0 takes place June 19^th-24^th at Bocamb Farms in Convington, Louisiana for girls going into 5^th-8^th grade. Camp Tekakwitha is a story camp allowing the participants to enter into the life of St. Kateri Tekakwitha of the Mohawks, learning about her lifestyle as a Native American in upstate New York in the second half of the 17th Century, her journey of discovery of the faith through the French “Black Robes,” and the development of her friendship with Jesus Christ. This year’s formation theme is Friendship with Christ and Love for the Eucharist.

Visit challengeyouthministry.com for more information about these camps, and about the camps scheduled for July.

Upcoming Boys ECYD Camps
Boys ECYD Camps are for boys in 5^th-12th grade and are focused on spiritual development as well as leadership skills. There are over 25 camp locations each summer, providing boys with a unique experience of “Forging them in Virtue” with fun and adventure. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of sports, games, formative activities, spiritual talks, and prayer and the sacraments.

The first ECYD camp of the summer is the Leadership Camp at Camp Bocamb in Convington, which is happening May 30^th-June 3^rd. Registration for this camp closes on May 28^th. Argentus Summer Camp 2023, held at the same location, will run June 5^th-11^th, and Argentus Day Camp, for boys entering 1^st-4^th grades, will be held June 27^th-30^th.

Camp Atlantas will be held in Jasper, Georgia on June 1^st-June 10^th.  Campers will enter the realm of Atlantas as squires and members of the six Houses of Atlantas, learn skills and powers from the Atlantan Knights themselves, and forge themselves as friends and apostles of Jesus Christ intent on building up and defending his Kingdom right here in the Southeast. This unique camp features medieval-style tournaments and sports, camping, hikes, wildlife skills, and even swordplay!

Dallas is hosting two camps this year: ECYD Summer Camp, Samurai – Honor & Brotherhood on June 4^th-9^th, and DFW Day Camp 2023 – Brotherhood on June 12^th-16^th.
Sacred Heart Apostolic School in Rolling Prairie, Indiana will be hosting a day camp called Camp Cristero on June 11^th-16^th. Contact Fr. Robert DeCesare for more information.
Camp Cincinnatus at Camp River Ridge in Oldenburg, Indiana has several camps running this summer, including a Boys Summer Camp June 11^th-16^th.

Fr. Andrew Gronotte, LC, will be hosting a Summer Leadership Course at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta on June 11^th-17^th. Contact Fr. Andrew for more information.
For more information about these camps, or the many camps being held in July and August, visit https://conquestyouthministry.com/camps/.