CCSU sets sports camps for summer

The Clayton College and State University Department of Athletics is set to kick off its summer camp program for another year.

Clayton State has been offering summer athletic camps to youth in Atlanta’s Southern Crescent for almost 15 years, and the camps are designed to provide the highest quality instruction in a safe, fun and socially-enriching environment. The primary goal is for all campers to enjoy themselves while also learning and improving their skills.

Daily activities are led by the department’s NCAA Division II head coaches and focus on character building aspects of each individual sport, including self-esteem, discipline and responsibility. The camps combine small group instruction as well as game play to ensure development of fundamental skills and game knowledge.

For more general information on the camps, please call the Athletics office at 770-961-3450. To register, please call CCSU Continuing Education at 770-961-3550 and to register online, please visit the Continuing Education website at www.conted.edu.

• Basketball: Head men’s basketball coach Gordon Gibbons will lead the boys camps, while new women’s coach Dennis Cox will lead girls camps. The basketball camps are designed to teach the fundamentals and strategies of basketball to all age levels, helping one to understand how to play the game. Individual and group instruction drills and game experience will be used to help each player improve his basketball skills.

There will be three sessions of boys camps, the first one June 7-11, the second one June 14-18 and the third one June 28-July 2. All three sessions are open to boys ages 6-to-14 and run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and will cost $140.

In addition to three week-long camps, Gibbons will offer a two-day Offensive Skills Clinic June 12-13. The clinic is open to boys ages 10-17 and will run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and 1-4 p.m. on Sunday. Cost of the clinic is $75. For more information on the boys camps, please call the men’s basketball office at 770-960-5186.

There will be two sessions of girls camps; the first one will be May 31-June 4, while the second one will be June 21-25. Both sessions are open to girls ages 6-to-14 and run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Cost of the camp is $140. For more information, please contact the women's basketball office at 770-961-3669.

• Soccer: New head Clayton State men’s soccer coach Pete Petersen and head women’s soccer coach T.O. Totty will lead the boys and girls soccer camps.

The camps are designed to develop individual technical skills, including, passing, dribbling, ball control, shooting, and tackling, as well as team tactics. There will be two sessions of camps, the first one June 14-18, led by Coach Petersen, and the second one June 21-25, led by Coach Totty. Both sessions are open to girls and boys ages 6-to-16. Full-day sessions will run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and will cost $180, while half-day sessions will run from 9 a.m.- noon. and will cost $100.

For more information on the camps, please call the men’s soccer office at 770-960-2077 or the women’s soccer office at 770-960-4261.

• Speed Development: The speed development camp is a unique program designed to teach the ABCs of running, mainly dealing with proper mechanics and technique. Campers will learn drills, skills, techniques and exercises to improve speed, agility, jumping ability, endurance, strength and flexibility. The camp is led by Clayton State men’s and women’s cross country and track coaches Mike Mead and Hugh Toro.

There will be two sessions of the camps, one the week of June 14-18 from 1-4:30 p.m., and another one June 21-25 from 8:30 a.m.-noon. Both sessions are open to girls and boys ages 6-to-16, and the cost will be $85. For more information, please call the cross country and track office at 770-960-2076.

• Tennis: Clayton State head tennis coach Elizabeth Nieto leads the tennis camps which focus on everything from the proper techniques used in the forehand and backhand shots to the art of serving and volleying. Individual instruction coupled with various activities and games provide for a fun, yet educational atmosphere.

There will be two sessions of the camps, one the week of June 14-18 from 9 a.m.-noon and another one June 21-25 from 1-4 p.m. Both sessions are open to girls and boys ages 6-to-16 and will cost $150. For more information, please call the tennis office at 770-960-4318.