When two girls, both under age 10, complained to Kenny Hill that they had been bitten by another boy in the pool at the Aqua Center in Park Forest, Hill wasted no time in resolving the situation.
Hill, a leader for the Park Forest Summer Camp program, “respectfully” sought out the mother of the young offender who eventually offered a sincere apology.
The two girls strolled away apparently comforted and hopped back into the pool.
“Well, we certainly do try,” replied Hill when a bystander complimented Hill’s handling of the situation.
In the three hours that Hill supervised his group of 5-year-old day campers on a recent Tuesday he had resolved half a dozen situations not uncommon for this age group.
“Kids are going to make mistakes,” he said. “That’s only natural. My job is to redirect them to an appropriate behavior.”
Hill is one of 28 young adults charged with the responsibility of supervising the approximately 150 campers enrolled for either the full day or the half day summer camp program, according to Anna Soloff, supervisor of the Recreation Department in Park Forest.
The camp has been operating for more than two decades. This year’s camp ended last Friday.
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Recruiting the right people for the responsibility of supervising children ranging in age from five to 15 is a serious task, Soloff said. Several counselors return summer after summer to work the camp and many are college students or teachers.
When she does have a need to hire new counselors, candidates undergo both a background and a fingerprint assessment and take part in an interview consisting of “situational questions.” Soloff said she knows the qualities she seeks in counselors and she closely monitors their interactions with campers throughout the eight-week program.
On this day, Soloff spent several hours at the pool with the campers and counselors.
“Our counselors are great and so diligent in monitoring and following up on the behavior of our campers,” she said. “I consistently observe the positive reinforcement our counselors provide.”
Yarkona Hall, mother of 7-year-old Jordan Hall, gives the Park Forest Summer Camp program and its counselors nothing but gold stars.
“It is the right amount of discipline and fun,” Hall said in a recent interview. “It is well organized, yet not regimented.”
Hall, who lives in Matteson, said she tried other camp programs in previous summers, but none proved to be the “perfect fit” for her son whom she acknowledged is “a bit hyper and over the top at times.”
Hall said she credits Hill in particular for his “patience” with Jordan.
In addition, she is appreciative of the personal communication she receives from the counselors regarding the events of the day.
“It is not unusual for them to recommend what we can work on at home,” to reinforce her son’s positive behavior, Hall said.
Hill has been a year-round employee for the village for five years and serves as a facility supervisor for the gym and recreation center at Forest Trail School when summer camp is not in session.
Among the disruptive behaviors he encounters at summer camp are excessive splashing, occasional cursing, kids taking what does not belong to them, and sometimes a minor scuffle over a toy.
A discussion about the behavior and a five-minute time- out works wonders, he said.
“Kids are going to have mental lapses; they just need to be redirected,” Hill said flashing a wide smile. “My goal is to let these kids have an amazing summer but with the appropriate behavior.”
Barbara Dargis is a freelance reporter at the Daily Southtown.