Summer season gets underway with a volleyball camp

By Brian Shaw | [email protected]

Camp season has begun in the city of South Salt Lake. And what better way to take a swing at this sweltering summer heat than to start off the month of June with a volleyball camp. 

Put on by the city's recreation department in cooperation with the Highland High School girls' volleyball team, the camp lasted for four days from June 5-9 in the Columbus Center gymnasium. 

Skills such as passing, setting and even hitting were taught by the Rams girls players along with recreation staff according to Myrna Clark, deputy recreation director for the city. 

In addition to the volleyball camp this summer, Clark added that the city will be hosting two other camps, a basketball camp at the Central Park Community Center July 17-21 at which the cost will also be just $10 per person. 

“For the basketball camp we're gonna have two groups. We'll have the first through third graders, and then we'll have the fourth through six graders,” said Dustin Permann, recreation coordinator. “It will start with more individual drills, lots of basics and lots of fundamentals the first two days, which we'll go back to throughout the week.” 

Permann added that two or three days into the week the staff will go into learning things like team defense, team-oriented drills and fast-break drills before ending the camp with scrimmages.

The camp is run by longtime recreation staff supervisor Tony Fabela, said Permann. “He's kind of a jack of all trades,” added Permann, who will assist Fabela on the basketball camp staff along with three other part-time employees.  

So far, enrollment in the basketball camp is good, according to Permann, who said each group has about 10 kids, but added that he'll probably see a lot more sign up before the deadline. 

“We want to reach a magic number of 15 in each group if we can,” added Permann, who is also in charge of the popular golf camp taking place at the end of July. 

The First Tee golf camp drew over 30 kids ages 7-17 last year to the Central Valley Golf Course, and will be held at the same location this time around, according to Clark.  

Costs for the golf camp, which will be held from July 31 to August 11, are $25 per person. 

“We had about 20 kids last year and we partner with First Tee Utah; they have a branch that's housed at the golf course,” added Permann. “Paul Pugmire [resident golf pro at the course] has helped us with the hands-on stuff the last couple of years which has been a big help and he doesn't have to do it, so we're really appreciative.” 

Before the camp gets underway, however, the staff—Permann included—takes a course and gets certified as coaches. 

Once the kids arrive at the golf camp, they work on SNAG equipment—Velcro and plastic golf equipment designed to help the kids feel at ease before they move on to the actual golf gear later in the week. 

But during the week, the kids not only get to learn how to play the game, they also learn golf etiquette according to Permann. 

“A theme of the day is preached throughout the day,” said Permann. “One day it might be integrity, the next it might be honesty.” From that point forward and on the last day of camp the kids then go out on the course and play three holes of golf with real golf equipment—after they've learned how to use it properly. 

“It's just a lot of fun,” said Permann about the two camps coming up in July. The basketball camp deadline is on July 7 while the golf camp deadline is July 21, he added. Register at the Columbus Center recreation office, located inside the building, during business hours.