PRINT ADS

Middle and high school athletes in nearly every sport have seemingly limitless opportunites to improve themselves in their offseasons. But most of those camps focus only on the skills specific to their sports.

So what about improving basic athleticism in areas like speed, strength, agility and conditioning? Holmen will host a camp to improve those parts of athletes games that will encompass almost all of July.

The inaugural Speed, Strength, Agility and Conditioning Champions camp will be conducted in the HHS Fieldhouse from July 7 through July 31. The camp will take place Monday through Thursday of each of those weeks from 7 to 9 a.m. The cost of the 32 hours of activity is $155.

“Anything that can make athletes stronger, faster and quicker in any sport will make them better players,” Dr. Michael Berkley, who is coordinating the camp, said. “It's not a sport-specific camp, but it should improve the performances for any athlete.”

Berkley learned about the camp through a contact in Milton. After a meeting with Holmen athletic director Linzi Gronning, Berkley presented his idea for the camp to the Holmen Athletic Booster Club, who have helped present the idea to district coaches, and promote the camp at HMS and HHS.

“At a basketball camp you might learn to dribble, but that may not do a lot of good if that same player can't do a push-up,” Berkley said. “We're going to try and give the programs better athletes.”

Berkley said Aquinas and girls basketball coach Matt Watson, and Onalaska and former girls track and field coach Eric Wojta run similar programs. Campers will get direct feedback as to how they've done in terms of improving their speed, strength, agility and conditioning with measurements taken on the first and last days of the camp.

“This camp is an intensive, four-week training program for athletes of all sports entering grades 7 - 12,” Gronning said. “Resistance training, speed-agility-quickness development, core stability, plyometric training, balance, dynamic flexibility, nutrition and positive mental development are all components of the training program.”

Berkley said he will donate all the proceeds from the event back to the HABC, which will come after subtracting the costs of equipment and T-shirts. Berkley said he hopes to donate $10,000 back to the HABC if 100 athletes participate. About 25 athletes were registered as of Tuesday afternoon.

To register or more information, e-mail Berkley at Berkley@centurytel.net.