Summer camps invaluable to aspiring athletes

If you have a youngster who likes basketball, then this week and next week present a perfect opportunity to get them some extra time on the court.
The Lady Pioneer basketball camp started Monday and next week coach Ryan Smith and the Pioneers will hold their annual Future Pioneer Basketball Camp.
These camps provide excellent opportunities for kids of all ages to work on the fundamentals of the game. Not only do the camps help kids develop their skills as basketball players, but they also teach young players how to interact with each other as part of a team.
Both camps not only ensure each child gets the basic instruction they need, but they also make sure they will enjoy a week full of fun and excitement.
Every year I go out and take a few pictures of the kids and I have never seen one girl or boy who didn’t have a big smile on their face.
It’s not all fun and games though. The coaches put the kids through several drills which will teach them the proper shooting techniques. They work on offensive and defensive fundamentals and try to give each kid an all-around solid background that they can continue to work on throughout the year.
Summer time offers a great opportunity for parents to send their kids to a variety of camps. I know of several kids who go to the University of Tennessee football camp every year. Several take advantage of baseball camps offered by colleges across the state.
There are tennis camps, one of which is offered at the Civic Center courts by David Dunlap. Softball, volleyball, soccer, wrestling; if it’s a sport then somewhere someone is holding a camp this summer.
Some camps can be very expensive, ranging in price from $300-$1,000 a week. For example a week at the Vols summer football camp will set you back a little over $300. Kids who are under the age of 12 can get just as much out of a camp which costs a little less, though.
Tennessee Tech offers a three-day football camp for $100. Tech also offers several different soccer camps. A week long half-day camp is $150 or the full camp is $200. That’s not bad compared to $400 at places like the University of Georgia. David Lipscomb also offers a wide range of summer camps at reasonable prices.
Some of the larger schools are now offering a strength and conditioning camp for older kids. If you have a high school player who hopes to take his or her game to the next level then this is a good summer program to get involved in.
For the majority of kids, if they’re interested, smaller camps will offer them everything they need to improve their game. Before sending a kid off to camp, make sure you’re sending them for all the right reasons. Mainly make sure they really want to go. This isn’t about mom or dad being able to brag about sending their kid off to some big, expensive camp somewhere. It’s about providing your son or daughter the opportunity to improve on the game they love to play.
Any of our local camps offered by the high school coaches can help a kid improve their skills. And for the money, they’re well worth it.
Summer athletic camps have been around for a long time, but they were mainly for football or basketball and they were a great way for college programs to raise money. Now everyone has a camp and they use the opportunity to find future players, while still providing a little income to the sports departments.