Eastlake hosts summer athletics to develop talent

Eastlake High School runs a variety of summer athletic programs, ranging from popular sports like football and basketball to less-watched sports such as wrestling and volleyball. They host these camps to prepare athletes for their seasonal school sports. 

The school hosts a total of seven sports-based summer programs. The camps cover boys and girls basketball, coed cross country, football, girls soccer, girls volleyball, and wrestling. Some have already occurred, but a few camps are still taking sign-ups and will start later this month.

The boys youth basketball summer camp runs from July 12 to 15, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at Eastlake High School. The cost is $150. 

Football will also be hosting a youth camp from July 18 to 20, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at the Eastlake football field. It is for boys in grades 2 through 6. 

Girls volleyball is hosting a team camp that runs from July 23 to 25. It goes from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and accepts girls from 9th to 12th grades. The cost is $275. The coaches for this team camp come from Sudden Impact Volleyball Club, and not the Eastlake volleyball team.  

Girls volleyball will also host open gyms on Mondays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. through July 21. The open gyms are hosted by head volleyball coach Mike Knapick, and include warmups, drills, and small games or even a full 6-on-6 match. 

Knapick said he wants to “give players an opportunity to develop skills” before tryouts, and that he hopes they “get something valuable out of the training.”

Eastlake cross country, football, girls soccer, and girls volleyball are also running summer practices. 

Cross country hosts runs every day at various times and locations. On Monday and Wednesday, they run from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. on the Eastlake track. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, they will hit the trails at Beaver Lake Park from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. On Fridays, they go from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. at a different location each week. 

Girls soccer will be hosting practice on the football field from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. on various days for those in grades 9 through 12. They are led by head soccer coach Molly Hill.

Coach Hill will usually start practice with warming up and then passing and dribbling drills. Each practice will focus on a specific skill, like offense or defense. This is the first summer that Hill has run practices after receiving feedback from the team. She now believes that “the more you touch the ball, the better you’re going to be.”

Football, cross country, girls soccer and girls volleyball will also be hosting strength and conditioning sessions over the summer for any student who may be interested in these sports.

• To find more information about football strength and conditioning, contact Cody Novak. 
• Cross country strength and conditioning is on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. in the weight room through Sept. 2. The cost is $325.
• Girls soccer runs conditioning on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays through Aug. 18 from 11:00 a.m.to 12:00 p.m. The cost is $200.
• Girls volleyball conditioning runs from May 30 to Aug. 25 and it is on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. The cost varies by how many sessions you sign up for.