By By STEVE FRANKLIN, Sports Writer
CHOCOWINITY — Southside varsity volleyball head coach Elizabeth Pruden and junior varsity coach Stanley Jones are trying to get girls involved in the sport of volleyball at a younger age.
This week, Southside High School opened up its doors to fifth and sixth graders from across the county for the 2008 Seahawk Youth Volleyball Camp.
In Beaufort and Martin counties, girls don’t typically begin playing volleyball until they reach the seventh grade. The nearest youth volleyball league is in Greenville, and not many area residents are able to make the westward journey on a bi-weekly basis.
Between 18 and 20 kids turned out for the four-day camp, which started Monday and will run through Thursday evening.
Though the camp is only for four days a year, Pruden hopes that the younger girls will take what they learn this week and continue to harness their skills throughout the year.
Next week Pruden and Jones will be hosting the 2008 Southside Youth Volleyball camp for seventh and eighth graders.