Who Is Influencing Your Son?
December 11, 2025
The Power of Positive Male Mentorship
If you asked your son who his heroes are right now, what would he say? A YouTuber? An athlete he follows on Instagram? A character in a video game?
Raising boys today is challenging because the landscape of male role models has shifted. Boys are inundated with digital influencers who often present a skewed, edited version of reality. In their day-to-day lives, many boys lack “cool” older male mentors who are tangible, present, and emotionally available.
They have their fathers (who they love, but who are also the enforcers of homework and bedtime). They have teachers. But there is a specific gap in the life of “Today’s Boy”: The gap for the “Big Brother.”
The “Counselor Effect”
At Camp Winaukee, we take staffing incredibly seriously. We don’t just hire people to supervise activities; we hire mentors.
There is a unique magic that happens between a camper and his counselor. To a 10-year-old boy, a 20-year-old counselor is the coolest person on earth. He is an adult, but he’s not a parent. He plays sports, he’s funny, he’s independent.
When that “cool” 20-year-old sits down on the edge of a bunk and asks, “Hey, you seem a little quiet today, is everything okay?”—it lands differently than when a parent asks it.
When a counselor models that it’s okay to be homesick, or that it’s important to shake hands and look someone in the eye after a game, the campers listen. They mimic what they see.
More Than Just Supervision
We look for and train our staff to recognize the “Side-by-Side” moments.
Character First: We hire for empathy and integrity. We can teach a counselor how to run a drill; we can’t teach them how to care.
Soft Skills: Our staff teaches boys how to resolve conflict without a referee. They teach them how to include the kid who is sitting on the sidelines. They teach them that “banter” isn’t funny if it hurts someone’s feelings.
The Result?
Your son comes home different.
Parents often tell us that after a summer at Winaukee, their son is more communicative. He is more likely to look adults in the eye. He is more helpful around the house.
This isn’t accidental. It’s the result of spending weeks surrounded by young men who model a version of masculinity that is grounded in community, growth, and sportsmanship.
Your son deserves to be surrounded by men who show him that being a “good guy” is the coolest thing he can be.
