For one week each summer, a group of young basketball players from London, Ontario leaves the hardwood behind for a place where they can just be kids—a place where leadership, character, and confidence take centre court. That place is Muskoka Woods and it’s had a life-changing impact on the youth of Compass Basketball.
Jay Lawrence, Coordinator of Compass Basketball at Youth Unlimited YFC London, has been bringing athletes to Muskoka Woods since 2016. But the story started years earlier, with a dream and a persistent email chain.
“I told them, ‘You’re going to hear from me every year until we get the opportunity,’” Jay laughs. “Then one day, I got a call. I didn’t even need to hear the date—I just said, ‘We’re in.’”
Since that first trip, Compass players have returned year after year to the camp’s Timbergrove Lodge, and Muskoka Woods has become a cornerstone of the program’s annual rhythm.
“It’s not just important—it’s crucial,” Jay says. “It’s the week I build our entire year of ministry around.”
For many Compass athletes—whose families often include newcomers to Canada and who may not have had access to experiences like summer camp—Muskoka Woods opens a new world.
“Just being on a lake, seeing cottages, paddleboarding past million-dollar homes—it’s all completely foreign,” Jay says. “Some of the guys are like, ‘People live like this?’”
But beyond the new scenery and exciting activities, it’s the personal growth that leaves the deepest mark. Jay recalls watching boys face their fears, like trying high ropes for the first time, or learning to swim.
“They start by saying, ‘I’m not doing this, Coach,’” Jay says. “But then the other boys encourage them. That’s leadership. That’s what we hope for.”
He shares the story of one athlete who returned the following summer determined to overcome the challenge he’d once walked away from.
“He said, ‘I’m not going home again thinking about how I didn’t do it.’ And he did it.”
Moments like that are common at Muskoka Woods. Whether it’s a culinary workshop, a high-adrenaline activity, or a simple campfire conversation, guests are invited into a space where they can explore new passions and discover hidden strengths. For Jay, Muskoka Woods isn’t just a retreat—it’s a platform for transformation.
“It gives our guys a clean slate,” he explains. “No one knows who they are at camp. They get to decide how they show up.”
And that freedom leads to powerful breakthroughs. Jay remembers a team devotional where one young man—the biggest personality, the star player—broke down in tears.
“He put his hoodie over his head and just couldn’t speak,” he says. “And suddenly, the whole cabin was in tears. In that moment, walls came down.”
Jay says those sacred moments shape how the boys connect with each other and carry themselves throughout the year.
“They start to lead one another, hold each other accountable,” he says. “We can see who they’re becoming.”
These changes extend beyond camp. Some guests have returned as staff, and a few Muskoka Woods leaders have even travelled to watch Compass alumni play games in various gyms around Ontario
“It’s real,” Jay says. “It’s not just a one-week thing. Relationships form, and they last.”
When asked why donors should support the Muskoka Woods Youth Foundation, Jay doesn’t hesitate.
“Summer camp is life-giving and life-changing,” he says. “These experiences open up a world that many kids don’t even know exists. And when they see it, they realize, ‘I belong here, too.’ For those six days, everyone’s the same. They’re not kids who can’t afford to be there. They’re just kids. And that’s the beauty of it.”
Your support makes stories like these possible. Donate today and help open the door to a summer that could change everything.
