Summer rolled on this week at Camp ROGA, and our Ninjas in training rose to every challenge for Ninja Warrior week! From climbing ropes to crafting gear, every activity helped build strength, focus, and confidence. Whether they were swinging through the air or creating something by hand, these Ninjas were learning, growing, and having a great time along the way. Here are just a few highlights from another awesome week at Camp ROGA.
This week, our Ninjas took on a different kind of warrior, the Samurai. Samurai Coach Payton faced the Ninjas during one of our end-of-day group games, playing Samurai and Ninjas. In this game, the Samurai stands in the middle of the team floor, guarding his treasure from any would-be thieves. The Ninjas would then try to sneak past the Samurai without being seen, standing still, or hiding behind a block or another Ninja whenever the Samurai turned to look at them. Any Ninja caught would have to return to their base to regroup and try again, but they had to hurry! There was only so much treasure to go around, so Ninjas who were caught had to make up the distance they had lost before other Ninjas beat them to their prize. This game was action-packed and was one of our campers’ favorites this week.
After their theft of the treasure, the Ninjas had to find a place to hide their ill-gotten gains. To do so, they engaged in one of our other games for this week, Build The Secret Hideout. Here, the Ninjas would take blocks from the ROGA foam pit and use them to build a tower to hide their treasure, racing to see who could build the tallest and sturdiest fort before the Samurai came to take their treasure back. Our precocious Ninja teams employed numerous different strategies. Some opted to build tottering single block spires as high as they could, to hide their treasure away from the prying eyes of the Samurai. Some built stocky and sturdy towers, many blocks wide, within which they would hide their hidden hoards. One of the more successful strategies involved a combination of these methods, where campers would first construct a sturdy base, then make the tower gradually more narrow as it went up. Regardless of tower-building strategy, though, when it came time to relocate, the Ninjas had a lot of fun tearing them down.
While agility, stealth, and speed are the classic traits of any great Ninja, true warriors also need courage, determination, and a strong grip. Enter Theo. One of the training stations our ninjas participated in was a rope climb, which stretches up 25 feet to the ceiling of the gym. All our Ninjas gave the rope a good attempt, and some made it impressively high, but Theo wanted to outdo them all. Hand over hand, and foot over foot, Theo moved steadily upward, slowly at first, but gaining speed and confidence all the way. Theo’s feat of endurance did not go unnoticed either, as a crowd of spectators would gradually form at the foot of the rope to watch him make his climb. At one point, every camper in the gym was waiting with bated breath as he reached towards the ceiling, and when he slapped it, there was a thunderous cheer. Theo then slid down from the rope to the floor in a truly gracious motion, where his friends waited to say congratulations.
Theo’s accomplishments were the talk of the dojo, but other Ninjas would not let him hog all the spotlight. Earlier in the week, another camper, Jordan, set before herself the task of jumping from one uneven bar to the other. She has seen athletes perform similar tasks in the Olympics, and confirmed with the Coaches that it was possible, but she had never tried it before the week had started. However, the fear of the unknown had no sway over Jordan, and she fought past her initial nervousness of the task day after day, until finally, on the third day, she succeeded. What made Jordan’s moment of accomplishment legendary wasn’t just the leap itself; it was also the patience, persistence, and the absolute confidence of a Ninja who never gives up. Jordan and Theo weren’t the only campers who accomplished something truly wonderful during camp; they were just a couple of those that I saw. Many more students this week took a step forward into the unknown, seen or otherwise, that might have changed them more than they knew. We hope to keep giving this opportunity to more campers as the summer barrels onwards.
In the quieter parts of the Dojo, our Ninjas were hard at work crafting new gear to add to their stealth kits. One of these pieces was the Bottomless Ninja Pouch, each of which was crafted to resemble its Ninja users. Above, you can see one camper in the process of putting the final touches on her own pouch, readying it to carry important other parts of her Ninja gear. Designs like pictured were quite popular, but were far from the only ones that campers made. One design I made note of had 9 eyes, and another had three scarves. One camper even decided to seal her pouch and its contents away forever (with glue) so that none could ever glimpse her secrets again.
The pouches were a good start, but what use was infinite storage if you had nothing to fill it up with? Luckily, Camp ROGA had a steady stream of gear to fill the pouches to the bursting. Two such pieces were the Ninja Stars and the Substitution Doll. First, the Substitution doll. This craft was one of the more difficult ones of this week for the campers, as they had quite a few parts (beads, hollow straws, pipe cleaners, etc.) and a lot of directions on how they should be put together. However, our campers’ diligence and patience paid off, as by completing their doll, they could use the Shadow Substitution technique. This technique calls for great speed and misdirection abilities, as Ninjas used the dolls as a distraction, throwing them before vanishing in a flash, leaving only the doll where they stood. This technique mystifies coaches and delights campers with their newfound abilities of evading detection. Also pictured are some of the Ninja stars our campers made, throwable objects requiring great precision and skill (and needing to be aimed away from other Ninjas). Camp ROGA provided one design for campers to decorate as they please, but some Ninjas decided to spend some long hours in the workshop and create their own designs in a stunning display of ingenuity and creativity.
All of these activities were hard work; even Ninjas need refueling every so often, and we made sure they got it. During our themed snack break, campers were treated to two fun, camp-favorite creations that brought a little extra excitement to the day. First up: Ninja Clementines. These peeled oranges had faces drawn on the rinds and little black bandanas (made with fruit by the foot) wrapped around them, turning each one into a sneaky citrus warrior. Even Ninjas have to get all their vitamins, and dressing them up can make a healthy snack a fun experience. Also pictured was our ROGA Camp “Sushi”. This treat was made from Rice Krispies bars rolled in fruit by the foot, with a Swedish Fish tucked inside to look just like a piece of sushi. Campers loved how they looked, but even more how they tasted.
After a week spent training and arming up for battle, our Ninjas were raring for a battle of the ages, and the opportunity came on Thursday with our weekly end-of-camp Water Day. Camp ROGA always keeps a large stockpile of reusable water balloons, but this week the Ninjas were playing for keeps. Alliances were formed, and sides were chosen as Ninjas scrambled to stockpile as many water balloons as they could for their own armies. As supplies grew scarce, raids were mounted on opposing camps to claim their water balloons for themselves. Pictured above is one warrior as she prepares to charge into an enemy camp along with all her brothers and sisters in arms. The battle would be long, gruelling and filled with uncertainty, with betrayal taking place regularly, and with both sides claiming victory in the end. But one thing remained clear as the dust settled: everyone had a lot of fun.
And with that final climactic battle, Camp ROGA Ninja Warrior week came to its conclusion for the 2025 season. Many memories were made and challenges overcome. The energy and teamwork we saw this week reminded us why summer at the gym is such a unique experience. We are proud of our Ninjas and hope you will join us next week as we take on an Amazing Race Around the World!
