CRESTVIEW — More than 50 young women were on hand April 26 and May 3 for Crestview High School’s second annual volleyball camp.
The camp, hosted by the Crestview High School volleyball team, drew 51 second- through eighth-graders.
Eighteen Crestview players joined bulldog volleyball coach Kathy Combest as camp instructors.
“We mainly want to get those kids before they get to middle school,” Combest said. “So when they get to middle school, they understand the game and it makes them better when trying out and they have a chance to make the team.
“You are just always looking and trying to teach kids to have a passion for what they are doing. That’s the main thing: trying to get them interested in it and excited about the game.”
The camp focused on teaching volleyball basics, starting with passing and setting. It also touched on proper hitting techniques involved with serving and spiking.
However, nothing taught was more important than lessons in footwork, which Combest stressed as being the game’s most important aspect.
The camp wasn’t all teaching. The girls incorporated lessons learned into actual games.
“We never let them hit the ball until they learn how to do an approach and get their arms out when they jump,” Combest said. “After we practice, we go into games where they know you have to have three touches or less to get it over (the net), the rotation, and how to track the ball — that kind of stuff.”
Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin’s sports editor. Email him at randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Volleyball camp trains future players