Camp History
Here's how it all started!
At fifteen I knew that I wanted to be a camp director. After I graduated from SMU with a degree in Physical Education, I continued to head the ski docks at a summer camp in Virginia while I searched for just the right land at Cedar Creek Lake! The perfect spot became the place where I built (personally) a 12' x 24' boathouse next to the water, starting a day camp in 1973, "Muddy's Ski Camp"!This shed had two homemade bunk beds, a fridge, hot plate, and no air conditioning! Lil Red, one canoe, one sailboat, tennis net, and swim area provided nine campers and three staff members with a bunch of fun! The camp remained a day camp for five summers.
By 1982, I had built a home on that "perfect spot" and my retired parents offered to "do the cookin'" if I wanted to get a residential camp started! Actually, my dentist was telling me about his son who had some learning challenges and he wanted him to do something that would make him feel good about himself. Going straight to the philosophy of "Yes, of course I can", I told my dentist that I would restart my camp and we would definitely teach his son to ski. . . and so we did!! I turned my garage into a bunkroom, and finally took all the furniture out of my home so that we had 27 campers and 9 counselors under one roof!! My parents, aunts, and uncles provided the meals, Band-Aids, TLC, and support from the house next door! To say that the camp was a family atmosphere would be an understatement! Eventually all of the counselors were my nieces, nephew, cousins, or kids who had grown up at Ski 'N Scats.
In 1994, I found a way to buy the land that is the present site of Ski 'N Scats and we opened the lodge doors in 1995. The "old" campers were extremely concerned that we might lose the "family" atmosphere; therefore, for the next five summers we all stayed together in the lodge (including me on the office floor!!). I was relieved when one of the "old camp" campers let me know that he'd discovered that "it's not the location, it's the atmosphere. . . and nothing's changed!"
The T in SCATS eventually became Teambuilding (Ropes Course: I didn't want to call it "Ropes" 'cause I didn't think Ski 'N Scars sounded just right!) instead of Tennis, and the cabin allowed us a few more campers and lots more space. My mom just stopped cooking at camp seven years ago at the ripe young age of 87.
In 2002, we added counselor overflow rooms, a snack bar, and a counselor hut for the staff after hours! David Liles and I literally built (dug the hole, placed the rocks, arranged the pumps and filtering system) the Circle of Spray, the waterfall area honoring our campers, counselors, and staff who have been with us for five or more years!
In 2003, we cheered and encouraged as the first campers went "up the wall" to "ring the bell" and squealed with the excitement of flying down the zip line!
In 2006, we built another cabin with three "adult" rooms, as we plan to add more permanent staff persons!
Two major additions in 2007 add to the excitement of Ski 'N Scats! One is a new wilderness cabin in our canopied area. Next is a wakeboarding boat which means that we have bought into the wakeboarding craze to a greater extent than in previous years.
Muddy's Dream
Muddy Moxley graduated from SMU in 1968 and taught in the Dallas, Austin, and Lewisville Independent School Districts! She taught Physical Education, Health, American History, and World Geography from elementary school through high school. She has coached girls' and boys' basketball, girls' volleyball, girls' track, and sponsored a drill team along with her teaching assignments!
After thirty years of teaching, Muddy retired in 1998 to spend all of her time operating Ski 'N Scats! During summers right after college, Muddy continued to counsel and head the ski docks at a large girls' camp in Virginia, nurturing the dream of owning her own camp! Ski 'N Scats began as "Muddy's Ski Camp", a day camp, from 1973-1977! A few years elapsed between the day camp and the residential camp that began in 1982, created, owned and directed by Muddy. 2008 will be our 32nd year!
In 1995, Ski 'N Scats moved to its beautiful 7½ acre location, just around the point from the "old" camp! In 1997, we added a blob and blob tower (fun!) and a low elements ropes' course that is perfect for the enthusiastic, positive, supportive environment of Ski 'N Scats! In 2003, a 45' rock climbing wall and 300' zip line added to a camper's fun and thrill of camp, and allowed the counselors to continue constant encouragement for "one more step"! In subsequent years cabins have been added so that the camp now houses 115 campers and counselors.
The very real mission statement of Ski 'N Scats is, "One on one attention where activities are vehicles by which we teach our campers to have positive self-esteem"! Muddy is dedicated to teaching and to each camper being in an environment where each will feel emotionally, socially, and physically safe to learn quickly! We employ at least 1 counselor for every 3 campers, so that the campers receive bunches of positive attention. Muddy has facilitated self-esteem building seminars for teachers and continues to do this for her counselors.
Muddy's passion: If a child feels happier and more confident; if my camp and I can make a difference in the lives of our campers and parents; then success continues with me on my life's journey.
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