Whether you’d like a child to be introduced to a sport or want them to polish up their skills, opportunities will be aplenty this spring as several local organizations will be hosting youth camps and clinics in the coming weeks.
Basketball at Backyard
Though local schools and city recreation departments have wrapped up their basketball seasons, there seems to be no offseason at the Backyard Sports Academy at 6212 W. Main St. in Turlock. Beginning in April, group workouts with Pitman High alum and Hilmar High head coach Austin Keaton will be held.
Mondays will be reserved for beginners while Tuesday and Wednesdays will be for more advanced athletes. Thursdays, workouts will move to the Hilmar High gymnasium. Beginners will go over ball handling, rebounding, passing, defensive stance and more. Meanwhile, the more experienced group will go over primary and secondary moves, moving without the ball, defensive principles and more advanced ballhandling. Drop-in rates are $25 while monthly memberships consisting of unlimited workouts are $175. For more information, contact Keaton at (209) 485-4276 or at AKeaton23@Yahoo.com.
Stanislaus State Cheer
Fast approaching is the Stanislaus State cheerleading camp, which is on March 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fitzpatrick Arena. The clinic is reserved for those in grades 9 through 12 and is designed to give prospective college cheerleaders an opportunity to work advanced and collegiate cheerleading skills with the current Stan State cheer team and coaching staff. The clinic will also give high school cheerleaders a chance to showcase their current skills to potentially be recruited by the program.
Individuals can register for the clinic at www.cheer.warriorathleticscamps.com. The registration fee is $40. For mor information, contact head coach Mike DeGuzman at mdeguzman@csustan.edu.
Academica Soccer
Learn from some of the top local talent over at the Academica Soccer Fields at 1343 W. Greenway Ave. in Turlock as the semi-professional soccer club will be hosting their annual Spring Break Soccer Camp from April 10-13.
The camp is open to children aged 4 to 13, and it does not matter their skillset. Participants will learn individual skills and team concepts while being coached by Academica SC staff and players. Soccer balls and water will be provided.
The cost for the camp is $75 for all four days or $25 each session. Individuals can register at www.academicasc.com/camps.
Turlock Sports Park Soccer
The folks over at Turlock Sports Park will also be offering a soccer clinic, this one completely free of charge on April 1. The free co-ed soccer clinic will mark the official start of the organization’s soccer programs.
At the clinic, children aged 2 and half to 14 will get an hour and a half training session from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. with licensed professional coaches and trainers to learn the fundamental skills of the game. Aside from the free lessons, kids in attendance will receive a free TSP t-shirt, while supplies last.
No pre-registration is required for the clinic. For more information, community members are encouraged to reach out to TSP director Broc Hamilton at Broc@TurlockSportsPark.com or by calling at (209) 618-3150.