Photo courtesy GCHS website

By Junious Smith III

Greene Central High School will hold a pair of camps for the youth this summer.

June 17 will start the annual Greene County Baseball Day Camp for children ages 5-14. The four-day camp runs from 9 a.m.-noon and will provide participants with numerous skills.

“The Greene Central baseball coaching staff and former players will be there to help,” Greene Central athletic director David Bryant said. “(Five-time state championship) coach James Fulghum will speak to the campers and there will be drills such as throwing, running, hitting and position plays. The last 30 minutes of the camp, we’ll work on sliding and break out the Slip and Slide, so we’ll have some fun elements in there.

“This is a traditional camp we’ve had for more than 20 years. I was brought up into it and a lot of our players were too. It’s definitely a great event and we hope for good participation.”

While the baseball camp has sustained its tradition, Greene Central’s football camp is coming back into fruition. The football camp is a three-day event, starting July 1 and running from 9 a.m.-noon. New Greene Central head coach Jay Wilson said it’s for all students in Greene County from the second through eighth grade.

“We’ll have Greene Central seniors and other selected players helping to run the camp,” Wilson said. “The focus will be on drills and basic fundamentals with some 7-on-7 action toward the end. We want to work on basic football skills and help the kids better understand the game.”

The baseball camp costs $80 for the entire week, although two campers from the same family can attend for $130. Payments can be mailed to Bryant at Greene Central High School or sent on the day of the camp.

The football camp is free for all Greene County students in the eligible age range. Each camper must bring a report card to verify both the grade and school the student attends.