Brigs Youth Sail Training : Parent Interview with Cory Yeo

Watch our Parent interview with Cory Yeo and his daughter to hear firsthand what children experience and how they grow at Brigs Youth Sail Training .

Transcript of the interview

What were you looking for when searching for camps?

Cory

We as parents, were looking for something that was stimulating, adventurous, confidence-building, and challenging for someone like her. And when we found Brigs Youth Sail Training, it just seemed like the most amazing ropes course I had ever seen, so it seemed like a good fit for her.

What’s unique about the program at Brigs Youth Sail Training that made you want to enroll your daughter there?

Cory

It’s the travel, the independence, and sailing the Great Lakes, which is such a magical experience. I’ve never done it. It’s such a rarity in today’s world to get off the phone, get out into nature, challenge yourself, and sleep under the stars.

As a parent of a 14-year-old, dropping them off into a strange situation where there are significant elements of danger and releasing that trust and giving it to another organization was scary at first. But knowing everything that I know about it now and the history of the organization, I just think it’s very, very valuable, and I just wish more kids could take advantage of it.

What would you highlight about Brigs Youth Sail Training’s programming?

Daughter

I really enjoyed the encouragement and how supportive everybody was there, and it was a very encouraging program for me to get out of my shell and try new things.

There was a lot of independence as well, where I was given an opportunity to work by myself and figure things out so that I could grow as a person. I also learned a lot of elements of teamwork and how to work with other people so that I could incorporate all these things into my life.

Learning to work with myself and other people was definitely a very helpful skill that I’ve applied to my everyday life since.

What do you like best or find most exciting about Brigs Youth Sail Training?

Daughter

I definitely knew that it was for me when I felt I was being challenged. I love a good challenge, and when I felt that I was really being pushed to try new things, really give my all to it, and try my best, that’s when I knew that I had found a good place for me where I was happy.

How and when did you know that the camp was the right fit for your daughter?

Cory

In her case, she didn’t want to get off the ship and ended up staying most of the summer. She really grew as an individual and found herself.

Was there any change or noticeable personal growth that you saw in your daughter after her time at this camp?

Cory

She’s a lot more confident in herself, and her expression is a lot stronger. She’s certainly not afraid to voice her opinion nowadays. She really developed as a person, and I’d say she believes in herself more, which is fantastic.

I would say it’s definitely added to her extroversion. She was probably fairly balanced before, and now nothing scares her, and she can sleep anywhere.

Daughter

My self-esteem definitely got a lot better because I had seen all the things that I had done over the summer. I figured if I could sail a tall ship, then I’m sure I could finish my homework that night.

When I had any small difficulties, I was reminded of the amazing things that I’d done over the summer. It really helped my confidence and my self-esteem. And I believed in myself more as a person afterwards.

There are definitely a lot of physical aspects to sailing. Pulling on the lines can be very heavy and requires a lot of grip. And there’s a lot of swimming as well. So it is a very physical sport, as well as sometimes just leisurely sailing on the Great Lakes where there are perfect winds and everything. I’m definitely stronger after going to Brigs Youth Sail Training, and it’s definitely a big change.

How can a parent support their child to get the most out of this camp?

Cory

You need to be able to let go as a parent, have that distance, and get rid of any control or oversight that you would normally have as a parent.

They’re out on the Great Lakes and on their own. So you have to trust in what you’ve done as a parent already and hope that they’re going to make it.

Right now, it’s more of a commitment of time and travelling. She is involved in the winter program that they have going on there, which is held pretty much every weekend, and it’s overnight as well. So there’s that commitment of driving her in and out of Hamilton every weekend from where we live. And, of course, there’s missing her on the weekends when she’s not here. So that’s a challenge.

It’s hard to say no when it’s a program that involves elements that I, as a parent, can’t give her. They say it takes a village to raise a child, right? Brigs brings such a unique challenge and unique situation that there’s nowhere else to get that. So it’s great. She’s learning.

How would you describe this camp to another parent?

Daughter

As a Brigs kid, I would definitely describe the program as a place where you can find yourself. From one teen or child to another, I would tell them that if they’re struggling with anything about themselves, or maybe they’re not confident in themselves, going to Brigs and learning to sail could definitely open up a whole new world of confidence for them and really make them believe in themselves more.

It’s definitely a great place to be for anybody who is struggling with self-esteem or anybody who’s very happy with themselves and is still just looking for a challenge or a new adventure.

It’s an amazing program, and it has definitely changed my life and the path of my life. It has sparked an interest and a passion in myself that I didn’t know I had. So to anybody wondering if maybe they should send their child to Brigs, 100% you should.

Cory

I would say, if you don’t already own your own personal tall ship and spend your summers sailing on the Great Lakes, Brigs provides an opportunity to send your kid to do that very same thing.

Verified written reviews of Brigs Youth Sail Training