Maine Golf and Tennis Academy

Meet the Directors

NEW! Interview with the Director Joel Lavenson --WHAT MOST PARENTS WANT TO KNOW

Joel, Crista, Hanna, and Emma Lavenson

The Lavenson Family has owned and directed Kennebec Boys Camp Inc. d.b.a. The Maine Golf and Tennis Academy since 1985. Joel is a Marriage and Family Therapist and Crista is a Social Worker. Joel's son Christopher and daughters Hanna and Emma are the fourth generation ofLavensons to be involved with Camp Kennebec and the Maine Golf and Tennis Academy. Joel's father, uncles, and grandfather were all involved with Kennebec over the years as campers, counselors, and waiters.

Joel has worked with the most successful and dominating atheletes and teams in the sports world and brings to the Maine Golf and Tennis Academy the experience, knowledge and high tech training that is the very newest and most powerful developmental approach for young athletes. Joel developed a unique sports training technique called Video Sports Analysis, instant replay for athletes right on the field of play. He worked with sports psychologists and bio-mechanical specialists with the Olympic Development Committee. He was a Training Ambassador and guest lecturer to the US and USSR Olympic Track Team. He and his training techniques were engaged to be used with notable sports figures and teams such as: The Boston Celtics, The New England Patriots, The New England Teamen, professional boxers, skiers, tennis stars and golfers.

In addition to Joel's background as an innovator in the field of coaching and training, he simultaneously pursued his passion for Marriage and Family Therapy, specializing in IMAGO Relationship Counseling, EMDR, as well as Veteran's and Family Constellation Therapy. Joel is holds dual licenses in Connecticut and Maine and is a Board Certified Professional Counselor and Clinical PsychoTherapist, and has also taught Psychology at Albertus Magnus College in Connecticut.

Crista, who has loved creating the Golf and Tennis Academy along with Joel, prides herself in knowing as much as she can about all of the campers and counselors and even before they arrive . Her winning smile and affable nature always make everyone comfortable and she stuns everyone with her memory of how much she remembers about each person. Joel and Crista now reside in Belgrade, Maine where both run the camp full time and still pursue the hobby careers on the side, teaching, writing, training, and consulting. Crista who has taught both undergraduate and graduate levels in English, writing, and Rehtoric classes at Rollins College as well as the University of Hartford and Saint Joseph's College for Women. She also is a dedicated artist and calligrapher.

Joel's family has been in camping for many generations and Joel's grandmother Caroline Lavenson owned a prestigious girls camp in Maine called Tripp Lake Camp for Girls for 40 years. Both Joel's father and Uncle George Lavenson dreamt of being in the camp business together and planned on doing just that until World War II changed all their plans. George, who was in the Paratroopers and who jumped on D Day into Normandy never made it back from Europe. George was one of the 101st Airborne Orginal Band of Brothers immortalized in the book and HBO mini-series by Steven Ambrose and Steven Spielberg. His spirit is alive at camp. Joel has decided to pick up the fallen standard and live out their dream for them.