This week, June 17-June 20, 2024, Statesboro High hosted its first-ever “All-Sports Summer Camp” in partnership with the Bulloch County Schools Literacy Foundation.
Parents brought their children who are rising second through seventh grade and paid only $50 to have them participate in a plethora of sports such as; football, softball, baseball, tennis, soccer, basketball, wrestling, volleyball, and air rifle.
“The purpose of our camp was to expose future Blue Devils to some of the sports that SHS offers.” Dr. Elizabeth Driggers, SHS Athletic Director said. “We also wanted to get students excited about being a part of the Blue Devil Nation to start developing that connection and pride and also teach sportsmanship which is a part of Statesboro High Athletics core values.”
Parents have had so many great things to say about the camp and their kids' excitement this past week.
According to a Facebook post comment, one parent who had two young girls participating said:
“This camp has been a true summer highlight for the girls! They love getting to see the big kids and the coaches! Thank you so much for all the hard work that went into this week!”
Kids are having a great time learning new skills, enjoying sports that they have never been exposed to, sleeping soundly at night and being excited to come back the next day to do it all over again.
“All-sports camp has been awesome,” rising sixth-grade camper Cater Massee said. “The thing I love is the way you get to stay active and you can meet all new people.”
His favorite sports he’s participated in have been football and volleyball and a new sport that he’s learned about at camp has been air rifle.
Having the student-athletes help out has been one of the most exciting parts of camp for all. The campers ask for autographs which makes the student-athletes feel special and allows them to make connections with the campers, while the student-athletes can also give back to the community that pours into them.
Recent class of 24 graduate and tri-sport athlete Demia Hartwell said that it can be hard for one person to rein in a bunch of kids on their own, so she’s glad to be there to help out her coaches the best way she can.
“This camp has been a great way for kids to stay active and do something fun during the summer,” Hartwell said. “This is something new, but I like that it gives aspects of all the sports because we’re more than just certain sports. It opens up kids' horizons to the different options they have when it comes to sports and it helps them learn teamwork and build confidence starting at a young age.”
“Our coaches and student-athletes have been instrumental in the success of the camp,” Driggers said. “While this week has been tiring, it has given us all joy and reminded us why athletics are important for whole child development. The kids have cried, cheered, communicated, worked hard, and bonded.”
In the span of a week, these kids have learned so much that will help them become better athletes and leaders in the community. The fun doesn’t have to stop at camp though! In partnership with the Bulloch County Literacy Foundation, the Statesboro High All-Sports Camp is ensuring that the campers continue to learn and develop over the summer by grabbing a book from the Bulloch County Schools Book Bus.
The Bulloch County Book Bus was launched in May 2019 to sustain a reading collaborative and work to increase early learning reading readiness. In its last three years of operation, it’s given over 40,000 books to kids in the Bulloch County community.
Bulloch County Schools Director of Early Learning and Literacy Crystal Simpkins said students step on the bus and their faces light up with excitement. That excitement for reading is what they are trying to reinstall among all the modern distractions kids have over the summer.
“Children are sometimes hooked on cell phones, iPads, and electronics, and our purpose is to bring joy back to reading and provide opportunities for our students who may not have easy access to the local library,” said Simpkins.