When summer session started and many students headed home, the athletic facilities continued to be a hub of activity as a variety of camps were hosted by Bulldog Athletics.
Truman State provides summer camps for a variety of men and women’s sports. The basketball programs offer camps for younger children and teenagers, while the rest of the sports are limited to high school students. Each program shares a common goal to get kids involved and help them grow as players, but some have a more specific focus of what to work on with their campers.
Amy Eagan, women’s basketball head coach, said camps aim to teach and build upon basic skills, while elite and team camps also focus on watching the kids play in a game setting.
Eagan said in addition to helping her coach, her assistant coaching staff did most of the work to prepare for the camps to open. She said the camps also rely on Truman athletes to come in and help.
“Players come back and help at the camps and really do a lot when they are here,” Eagan said.
Women’s soccer head coach Mike Cannon, who hosts soccer camps for high school-aged athletes, has a similar outlook to Eagan’s about camp goals, but also described how the camps help his team get extra funding through camp fees.
“Word of mouth can be a powerful thing. We do turn a profit, which helps us provide opportunities for the current team for equipment, team gear and scholarships,” Cannon said.
Junior softball player Ashley Murphy said the players are provided a measure of flexibility by their coaches, as it is up to the players to come up with specific drills. Murphy also said she enjoyed the chance to work with young players.
“One of my favorite parts of helping is the opportunity to pour into the youth of the sport and share our love for the sport with them,” Murphy said.
This post sponsored by Hardee’s.