While Sedona athletics are on a hiatus for spring break, area coaches were instructing a new team this week.

From Monday, March 11, to Friday, March 15, the Sedona Red Rock High School held its West Sedona School Spring Break Sports Camp.

“My favorite aspect of the camp was providing a service for the local families,”
SRRHS Athletic Director Don Burton said. “A lot of these kids’ parents work, so the kids had an opportunity to get out and have fun amongst each other.”

Multiple Scorpions head coaches, along with varsity players, directed the kids.

“You would like to have the kids outside because the gym is very noisy but the kids have been phenomenal,”
Burton said. “Our coaches have done a great job and it is really nice having them all help out.”

“Fourty-eight kids signed up altogether and we have had around 30 participants every day,” Burton said. “The weather has been somewhat difficult but I think this camp along with summer activities will increase our numbers.”

Campers engaged in five sports sessions and could participate in a total of eight different sports.

“They learned some basic skills in football and basketball, such as passing and cutting,” Burton said. “Sam Blom, our soccer coach, has helped their soccer skills while Coach Kovac took tennis.”

Sedona basketball coach George Gleason and swim coach Daniel Morse helped teach kids the fundamentals
of basketball and flag football.

“The camp has been excellent. There was a great turnout and we have had great volunteers assisting us,” Gleason said. “It is great that the kids are learning the right way, as I think that is something missing in the sports world.”

While Sedona coaches typically utilize spring break to fine-tune their gameplans, this time around they were asked to help instill fundamentals in young players.

“We started with the basics, such as moving without the ball, how to pass and receiving a handoff,” Gleason said. “We are teaching them the small things that they probably will not think about while watching TV.”

For Gleason, teaching the children from scratch is his favorite aspect of the camp.

“These kids have never seen sports before so it is much easier to get across to them,” Gleason said. “Young kids do not know too much but they are convinced they know everything when around older kids.”

While varsity athletics are often fixated on winning, the sports camp offers a lighthearted approach to athletics.

“I love working with the young kids, they have so much and it is less serious than the high school level,” Gleason said. “They are here because they want to be here and I enjoy that, too.”

Instead of watching television or playing video games over the break, the kids are out and about with their friends, learning new skills and mindsets.

For Gleason, the sports camp is also about helping the kids lift each other up.

“The kids have been great at learning, helping others and supporting each other instead of cutting them down,” Gleason said. “We talked about this to the kids the other day and they have been extremely supportive of each other.”

“I think sports are essential because it allows them an outlet for their energy,” Burton said. “I also think it is a great selling point, as it shows we offer what other schools do not.”

Burton said he believes sports teach many valuable life lessons.

“They learn how to get along and work through problems they may have skills-wise,” Burton said. “They also learn the importance of hardwork to achieve their goals.”

“It provides an opportunity for 30 kids to come in and know our coaches and vice versa,” Burton said.

Sedona’s next athletic event is Monday, March 18, when the Scorpions baseball team hosts Winslow High School. The first pitch is slated for 4 p.m. Sedona is currently 1-2 this season.