Dalton girls basketball camp draws hundreds

Members of Christian Heritage School’s high school girls basketball team haven’t had much of an opportunity to practice this offseason, but they spent Monday and Tuesday afternoon coaching others.

The players, along with firstyear head coach Frank Pinson, hosted a basketball camp for girls of all ages this week, getting some practice in by helping others practice.

“Kids will come out and see them play when there are 500 or 1,000 people in the gym, and this gives kids the opportunity to connect with them,” Pinson said. “We’re all focused on teaching the fundamentals of basketball, and it’s a great thing for them to come out and connect.”

Preparations for the camp included plans for health safety during the coronavirus pandemic, Pinson said. Campers brought their own water and had spaces to place their belongings that were set at 6-foot intervals.

“A lot of people have cabin fever right now,” Pinson said. “I know parents are anxious to get them out of the house as well. As long as they entrust us with their care, we’re going to do the best we can to keep everyone safe. We’ve been sanitizing, so that’s been a bit different.”

Members of the women’s basketball program at Berry College in Rome attended to instruct the campers. Angel Mason, director of athletics, and head coach Thomas Johnson spoke to the campers and led them through drills.

“We always want to have good community relationships,” Johnson said. “Having local kids that can play really can help a program like ours.”

‘We spent so long thinking about how to make it great ... but the biggest variable going in was the thing we couldn’t directly control: Would people keep to their vehicles and stay safe? Or would they run up to the stage?’