TIFTON — A full week into June and everyone is into the spirit of youth summer sports camps. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and Tift County had events on their school campuses and Tiftarea Academy hosted a camp for the second straight week.
More camps are in action this week.
Volleyball, baseball and softball hit Tift County High, Tiftarea has its kiddie cheer camp and ABAC stays in action with an advanced tennis camp.
Tift also held a youth football camp earlier in the week.
Taking place over the previous week were football at Tiftarea, tennis and softball at ABAC and wrestling at Eighth Street Middle.
FOOTBALL
Football at Tiftarea was a four-day event, with players in grades 1-8 taking part.
Technique on both sides of the ball was taught, with groups rotating between coaches Erik Soliday, Mikel Soliday and Edd Cunningham. Cunningham, who took a year off from coaching, was back at this camp.
During a defensive-heavy day of camp, youth got demonstrations from coaches and players, then had a go at it themselves.
Drills gradually became more complicated, with each player getting to build upon what he had already learned.
They got creative as well, with Cunningham mixing in a game of tag with the youngest of participants.
SOFTBALL
At ABAC, Coach Mike Reed hosted two days of softball camp, split into skill levels. The second day, for older and more experienced athletes, had 23 sign up, he said. Twenty-two were there for the beginners.
The older group practiced like the Fillies.
Reed said the activities were “Everything we do, just modified.”
ABAC players helped Reed, which gave the participating players a chance to see what it took to be at the collegiate level.
Players did infield and outfield drills, hit and there were a few pitchers who signed up.
Along the way, he offered tips on play, including one that did not necessarily mean fielding prowess. “When I’m on recruiting trips,” Reed said, “I look for who’s talking,” referring to communication between fielders.
Reed said attendees hailed from area counties, including Tift, Worth and Wilcox.
TENNIS
While softball played on its field, ABAC head tennis coach Dale White worked with his first group of campers, the younger of two groups he’ll host this summer.
This is the first time ABAC has split its camp up completely. In years past, beginners and advanced players stayed on separate group, though they sometimes played doubles together.
White already had 65 players signed up for the two sessions, most being players with experience on a team.
With the youngest, White sometimes had to start with the basics. He said that included even holding the racquet and their swing.
WRESTLING
The week finished at Eighth Street Middle, where coaches Billy King, Zac Martin and Rayder Schemmel were in charge of a multi-day wrestling camp. Guest coaches made their appearances, too, made extra special by them being alumni of area schools.
Two of these visitors were Quen Campbell and Dominic DiTomasso, of Tift and Lowndes, respectively. Campbell, wrestling at Chadron State, placed 2nd nationally this year in the Division II tournament in the 133-pound division. DiTomasso, Class 7A runner up in 2022, now wrestling as UT-Chattanooga.
DiTomasso said it meant a lot to be back in the area. He said he remembered being in camps in Tifton as a youth. He enjoys being able to give back in this way. “It’s nice to help them out,” he said.
Campbell was also thrilled to be back. With a mostly local clientele on the mats, he knows many of their names. Campbell said he’s been watching them grow up in the sport. “Seeing them almost adult,” he said.
A redshirt junior in 2022-23, Campbell has another year left to try to win nationals. Afterwards, he sees himself coaching and would like to come back to this area.
Being in Tifton meant only most of the campers were from Tift County. King noted that wrestlers are coming in from all over, including Cook, Turner County, Fitzgerald, Lowndes and Pelham.