Holtville’s volleyball camp a success
HOLTVILLE — The Holtville High volleyball program held the third camp in the Imperial Valley this month, also pulling in a large group of eager young athletes similar to the events organized by the squads from Imperial and Southwest highs.
This was the first camp for Holtville under the direction of Viking head coach Chelsey Strahm, who said she was excited by the turnout of campers. Given the size of the Holtville High gym, Strahm said she anticipated being able to comfortably lead and host about 50 campers and was surprised when the event drew just more than 60 participants on the first day.
“We were surprised to get this many kids,” Strahm said. “This being our first camp, we didn’t really know what to expect.”
Strahm noted the importance of holding the camp, as it introduced the community’s youngest athletes to the sport and also served as a fundraiser for the volleyball program.
“We want to set the foundation early, so by the time they enter high school, the skills are there,” she said.
The camp was open to kids as young as 5 through 14 years old or incoming freshman.
“We want to give those freshman players as many reps as we can before tryouts,” Strahm said.
The camp was appealing to the young athletes for various reasons, with some saying they enjoyed the drills and others saying they enjoyed being introduced to the sport.
Khloe Tyler was a first-time camper and said she wasn’t expecting to participate in the camp this summer.
“My mom put me in it, so I wasn’t expecting it,” said the 6-year-old.
Despite the surprise sign-up, Tyler said she enjoyed the week and learning about the sport.
“I like how we have fun here and how we learned to dive,” she said.
Unlike Tyler, Mallorie Kellum had participated in the sport of volleyball before, and she wanted to attend the camp to strengthen her skills.
“I want to get better at everything,” the 9-year-old said.
Kellum said the footwork drills were her favorite, while her favorite part of live-action play was serving, spiking and diving.
“I do hope they have it next year, because I want to do it again,” she said.