School has just let out for the summer, but for a large number of aspiring athletes, the training season is never over.
On June 9, the Tomahawk boosters’ camps started in earnest with volleyball, football and girls soccer going for a week, while additional camps for M-P and Arlington remain ahead on the calendar.
After the improvement of the 2007 Tomahawk football season, in which M-P assembled a .500 record and nearly qualified for the district tournament, turnout was up at the weeklong summer camp on the high school practice fields.
While familiar faces could be spotted during warm-ups, a number of newly anointed freshmen were scattered among the ranks.
Junior John Crenshaw attended the camp as well, and is thinking about going out for football for the first time in his high school career.
“I’m just ready for a change,” he said. “It will be fun.”
Crenshaw hopes to line up at cornerback and wide receiver, and came to the booster camp to get a jump start on the season. He was unable to attend the team camp at Western Washington University, which runs the week of June 16.
Despite the new faces though, second-year coach Brandon Carson expects to see his biggest numbers among this fall’s freshmen.
“The incoming freshman class I expect to be one of the biggest we’ve had in awhile,” he said.
While the boys outside reviewed defensive schemes, inside the gymnasium, dozens of girls worked on their bump, set and spike technique. The always competitive volleyball program graduated four regular starters and several more varsity players. The camp gets girls thinking about the skills they’ll put to work later this summer when official practices begin and coach Shelly Johnson starts assembling her fall 2008 team.
With a scrimmage already under its belts and a weight room schedule posted, Arlington football has begun its summer schedule too. The team, under first-year coach Greg Dailer, will host a youth football camp for kids ages 9 to 14 the week of July 14.
Arlington will also offer youth and high school athletic camps starting with volleyball and youth soccer, beginning the week of June 23.
For a complete list of Arlington camps, visit the high school web site at www.asd.wednet.edu/ahs and click on Athletics. For information about remaining Tomahawk booster camps, visit www.tomahawkbooster.info.
