July 31, 2009

Gamecock Volleyball in the 2009 Summer Sports Program

COLUMBIA, S.C. – A successful Summer Sports Program finished up on Friday at the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center as the Gamecock volleyball team helped instruct children in the final session. The City of Columbia Parks & Recreation Department and the University of South Carolina cooperated for the third straight summer to provide opportunities to children from the various parks around the city to learn more about some different sports.

“We had a good summer,” said program director Harold White. “The kids really enjoyed it each well. We rotated the parks through sports again, trying to get them exposed to something different from last summer. The opening ceremony with the track and field team really set the stage. All the sports did well, and I would like to thank each group for participating.”

Every year, the program seeks to introduce youth to new recreational activities and provide them with an experience on South Carolina’s main campus. The program consists of 40-80 children who participate in various activities on Friday mornings for eight weeks, utilizing USC’s facilities, coaches and student-athletes. A different group of kids from various parks around the city participated each week, serving over 300 participants total. Youth got to interact with the Gamecock coaches and student-athletes through track and field, soccer, basketball, swimming, equestrian, football, cheerleading and volleyball.

The final week saw volleyball players Meredith Moorhead, Tory Anderson, Teresa Stenlund and Olivia Ryder, among others, teaching kids the basics of volleyball, including lessons on digging and setting.

“Coaching summer camp was a blast,” said the senior Moorhead. “Being able to connect with young kids with such energy and excitement for volleyball made the entire experience unforgettable. It’s nice that our team was able to help out and give a little back to the community in such a fun and positive way.”