The Lady Sharx Volleyball Club staged a five-day camp this past week at Ceres High School.
About 100 girls and boys, aged 5-18, attended the June 12-16 clinic.
“We had a really good turnout,” said Kelly Heese, founder/director of the Lady Sharx and head coach of Ceres High’s boys and girls varsity teams. “The kids were eager to learn and energetic. They had a fun time.”
The Lady Sharx Volleyball Camp was split into two age-group sessions at Phil de la Porte Gymnasium.
Session one (ages 5-12) ran from 2-3:30 p.m.
Session two (ages 13-18) ran from 4-5:30 p.m.
Emphasis was placed on serving, passing, setting, hitting, blocking, serve receive, defense, communication and team work.
Cost was $80 per athlete.
Each camper received a t-shirt.
“All the parents appreciated my coaches and the energy they brought to the court,” Heese said.
Heese provided instruction with assistance from seven other coaches affiliated with the Lady Sharx and Ceres High.
“My coaches were so excited to coach the little kids,” she said.
Ceres youngsters Alexandra Aguilar, Alexia Lopez, Olivia Olide, Maya Olide, Edison James and Edward Hanna, and Modesto’s Izzy Larson were among this year’s campers.
Alejandra Ramos, mother of Maya, 10, and Olivia, 9, found out about the camp through another parent at their school.
“I think the camp is great,” she stated. “It’s very organized. I like how they separated all of the ages. They both said they loved it. Maya said she learned a lot the first day.”
Cristina Larson signed up her daughter Izzy, 12, for the camp after her sister shared a social-media post about the clinic.
She was impressed with how all coaches interacted with players, including Sara Thornberry.
“I really like my daughter’s coach,” Larson said. “She goes into detail and she’s really into it. You can tell she enjoys it.”
The Lady Sharx had 20 more participants at their 2023 clinic.
“We had quite a few newcomers,” Heese said. “I was really excited about that.”
“I don’t think people realize how big volleyball has become everywhere,” she added. “People need to get on board.”
The Lady Sharx will offer one-day volleyball clinics for boys and girls, aged 5-18, on June 25, July 9, July 16 and July 23 at Ceres High School.
Each session will last 90 minutes (1-2:30 p.m.).
Cost is $20 per camper.
For more information, contact Heese at (209) 568-9253.
“We want to reach kids at a younger age,” she said
Heese has coached volleyball in the Central Valley for 22 years.
She doubled as head coach of Ceres High’s boys and girls volleyball programs for the second year in a row.
Ceres High’s boys team compiled a 12-6 overall record, placed third in the Western Athletic Conference with a 9-5 mark and qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-II playoffs this spring.The Bulldogs went 2-17 and finished last in the WAC standings (1-14) in 2022.
Heese also coached at Central Valley High School in the past. Central Valley’s girls team reached unprecedented heights under her guidance from 2012-16. The Hawks amassed a 30-23 record in WAC action and qualified for the postseason three times.
“It’s a sport that gets overlooked by people,” she said. “There is so much to offer. There are a lot of college scholarships available for boys and girls. Coaches are searching for players. Continuously playing gives you a greater advantage.”
