BROWNSTOWN
Brownstown Central’s volleyball camp offered something for everyone in attendance.
Whether a player was just starting to get to know the game, had played for their school team in the past or was on a travel club team, the Braves’ high school coaching staff was there to teach the girls from the community how to improve their skills.
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Braves head varsity coach Jennifer Shade and her staff and high school players recently worked with incoming fifth- through eighth-graders.
“This is the time when we work on individual technique,” Shade said. “When we get to the season, we work on a lot of team things. We had someone come in last year with our high school kids, and we’re running that clinic with the camp kids.”
Shade said the kids worked on passing, setting, hitting and serving during the hour-and-a-half-long sessions.
Maddie Singleton, an incoming eighth-grader at Brownstown Central Middle School, said the camp has helped her grow over the years.
“We were less nervous going into the volleyball season as fifth-graders because we had some more experience,” Singleton said. “Fifth grade was the first opportunity we had to play at the school. It’s really good because you can see what you are going to be in high school.”
The main focus for the younger group was getting the players a feel for the game.
“It’s all about fun for them,” Shade said. “They love being involved with the high school kids that are here. They love having them on their teams when they play. They look up to their role models.”
Shade said she had around 30 of her players helping with the camp.
“I think you can talk about passing, hitting and those things, but if they’re not seeing it done, they might be unsure of what they’re supposed to do,” Shade said. “They do a lot of demonstrating and showing technique.”
Kaitlyn Williams, an incoming eighth-grader at BCMS, said she likes working with the high school players.
“It’s really fun for me, and it trains you to get better going into high school,” she said. “It’s nice to be practice with the varsity coach. She’s a really good coach. I like interacting with other people and seeing them get better.”
Incoming BCMS eighth-grader Kera Wischmeier has gone to the camp each of the last three years.
“I come back because you get to learn new techniques and work with the other hitters and setters,” Wischmeier said. “You get to know your team before you get into the season. I like hitting with other people and seeing what they do with their hitting. I’ve gotten a lot of help.”