Summer is not a time for area high school athletes to stop thinking about next fall. Summer is the time to get ready for the fall and next sports season. Summer is the time to get out and learn and do.

All kinds of camps are already under way or about to get started throughout the area.

The annual MCHS Youth Basketball Camp started Tuesday and runs through today, June 1, in Ron Wright Memorial Gym.

MCHS head boys basketball coach Wade Mortensen is conducting two camps, one for boys and girls in grades 3-6, and the other for middle school and high school boys.

The elementary school camp runs from 9 a.m.-noon. It features learning basic skills. The middle-high school camp for boys only runs from 1-4 p.m. and features more advanced techniques.

The annual Brigham Young University Volleyball Camp for girls will get started this Monday, June 5, at MCHS. Volleyball coaches from the school, known throughout the nation as one of the premiere schools for the sport (mostly men, though) will be instructing girls in some of the basics and more advanced techniques. The camp times are 8:30-11:30 a.m., 1-4 p.m. and 5-6 p.m. Monday through Friday in Ron Wright Memorial Gym. MCHS head volleyball coach Lindy Mortensen said there are a couple of spots open for any girl interested. She can be reached at 565-2135.

MCHS will offer two girls basketball camps this summer. Panther Girls Basketball Camp will run June 12-15 for those in grades 7-12 and will run June 19-22 for students in grades 3-8.

These camps will be fun filled learning experience and emphasize the proper execution of fundamental basketball skills, according to MCHS girls head coach Phil Baca.

Baca and assistant girls coach Mike Glover will be directing the camps. They will be leading the campers through drills on the fundamentals, guiding their participation in individual competitions, and coaching their teams as all campers will play one five-on-five game each day.

By using repetition and a positive learning environment, each player will improve their skills during the camps. Fundamentals that will be stressed include dribbling, passing, shooting, moving without the ball, give-and-go, pick-and-roll, on ball defense, ballside defense, helpside defense, and rebounding. All campers will receive a T-shirt and a basketball.

Each camp will feature a morning session (9-noon) and an afternoon session (1-4). The gym will be open and supervised every morning at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. to accommodate work schedules. Girls who eat lunch at the gym will be supervised. Campers will be responsible for providing their own lunch. Pizza, snacks, and drinks will be sold for those campers not wanting to bring a lunch. The cost of the camp is $65 per person.

For those not interested in basketball, there is soccer.

The Challenger British Soccer Camp is once again returning to Montezuma County.

The week-long camp is sponsored by the Tri-City Soccer Association. The camp, set June 26-30 at Parque de Vid in Cortez, will offer three-hour morning sessions for the novice player and a three-hour afternoon session for the older, more experienced players.

During the week of the camp, the staff will hold a free coaching clinic for parents and coaches at Parque de Vida. Special coaches clinic will begin evenings at 6:30 and will cover such areas as organization of practices, technical drills, and systems of play.

The cost of the camp is $80 per person which includes a camp ball and a tee shirt. There are family discounts available for $5 off the second child and $10 for a third child. An early sign-up discount of $5 will be given to all applicants who have paid in full before June 1.

Tri-City Soccer Association is also seeking families who would be interested in hosting a British Coach in their home for the week of the camp.

Registration forms can be picked up at Cortez City Hall, and Howard’s Sporting Goods in downtown Cortez. For more information, phone Debra Ramsey at 565-3086.

Not interested in basketball or soccer? How about softball?

The 2000 Oregon University Duck Softball Camp will be coming to this mountain town June 8-9 at the Fort Lewis College Softball Complex.

University of Oregon head softball coach Rick Gamez, a former University of Texas-El Paso baseball star, and his staff are anxious to share their knowledge of the game, including some new and exciting concepts. The camp times are 9:30 a.m.-noon and 1:30-4:30 p.m.

All participants will receive individual instruction in all phases of the game including hitting, fielding, pitching, and the mental aspect. Serious players should not miss this opportunity, according to information on the flyer.