Most organizations today that work with young people have been slowly but steadily drained of intensity. Young people need intense, risky experiences to develop and grow. These experiences were once commonplace in America but have been “safetied out” of many lives over the last few decades. The reasons for this are complex and sociological but the effect of an “over-safetied” existence on a young person is significant and very negative. Participating in genuinely intense experiences and learning to take risks and dealing with the consequences is essential to becoming an adult. Resilience is a learned skill. Intense life experiences that are not “oversafetied” help to build personal resilience.
The Mackall Competition is the place to build these intense life experiences. It’s modeled on West Point Sandhurst Competition. It has three components: Shooting, Endurance and Civic Engagement. It helps in mentoring young people, and it introduces them to a challenge that is NOT oversafetied. For more information, please download the presentation below.
