With our good friend and former Head of Senior Camp, Larry, leaving for a new opportunity we found ourselves a bit understaffed and overwhelmed. Luckily we had a replacement in a matter of days! Matthew Bertino has been a Nabber for a little over two decades. After working his way up from CIT to Assistant to Head Counselor, Matt (aka Matty B) is ready to take over and lead the Senior Camp to an incredible summer. Find out more about Matt by reading our Q&A:

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your Camp Nabby history? How long you’ve been here? What positions you’ve held?

A: Sure, I’d love to. I’ve spent practically every summer of my life at Camp Nabby. I was a camper here from when I was in Cubs all the way till Penn. I’ve been a CIT, Assistant Counselor, Head Counselor (past 4 summers) and now this summer I’ll be the Senior Camp Program Director.

Q: So, you’re the Senior Camp Program Director this year, what are you most excited about?

A: I am most excited about getting to know all of the campers in Senior Camp and conducting the first ever Epic Eight games.

Q: Ohhh, Epic Eight! Can you confirm a rumor that you’re working on a new epic game for camp? Any sneak peeks?

A: The rumor is true, however, there are still a lot of kinks to work out and before anything becomes official. I still have to try the games out with a couple of groups. Hopefully I’ll find some volunteers this summer!

Q: Rikki is making plans for a Zumba night, do you have anything special up your sleeve?

A: Hmmm…possibly. You might have a special guest referee for Daddy Dodgeball night.

Q: We hear you spend a lot of time down at Madison Square Garden. What’s that all about?

A: That is correct! I am on the Blue Crew for the New York Rangers and the 7th Ave Squad for the New York Knicks. We are essentially a hype team. We get involved with the crowd during home games and viewing parties. We do the infamous t-shirt toss and help conduct contests on the court/ice. It is a lot of fun, especially since I am a fan of both teams.

Q: Any new costumes you plan on revealing this summer (please no spandex, k!)?

A: Haha, there is always room for new costumes! I’m sure I’ll wear more than one over the course of the summer.

Q: If you could have one super power what would it be? Why?

A: Definitely the ability to fly. I am not afraid of heights and I would love to see the world from a different point of view. Plus, it would save me a lot of money on traveling.

Q: Favorite musician (band or singer)?

A: I am a big country music fan. My two favorite musicians are Taylor Swift and Eric Church. I have floor seats to see both of them this summer!

Q: I asked John & Rikki this question, but if you’re on stage at a karaoke competition what’s your go-to song?

A: Hmm… good question. My go-to song would have to be “Everywhere” by Michelle Branch. It’s just a happy song and I can get a lot of crowd interaction with it.

Q: T-shirt cannon or cannonball?

A: T-shirt cannon, no question. I have perfected the technique of rolling a t-shirt three different ways. Still gotta work on perfecting my cannon ball techniques. I’ll have to practice this summer!