Sports
Tigers football camp a key for athletes
Friday, 15 June 2012 by David Tuma
The Tigers football program will host the first of two camps (Kindergarten- sixth) next Monday-Thursday. Belton's camp that begins at 8 a.m. and ends at noon is one of the largest of its kind in Texas.
At an early age it is good for athletes to get around the high school coaches. It gives them a chance to learn some of the terminology and at Belton's camp, even at a young age, they work on the offense and defense they use at high school.
With the coming of a ninth grade center for many of those attending the camp they will one day be attending a dominate high school in terms of unmatched facilities and numbers other schools can't touch.
For the athletes coming into the sixth and seventh grade, the camp, is a huge opportunity to get a jump start on trying to land a starting spot at one of the three junior high schools in BISD. They get 16 hours of instruction at the camp. Doesn't sound like much until you factor in that at the high school level that is almost two weeks of practice.
"I went to as many camps as I could when I was younger. Got into the camp before seventh grade was a positive experience for me. Some of my current team mates were with me that first camp and we have stuck together all these years," said Garrett Curry a two-year starter on defense. Curry was a dominating stinger last season and was moved to safety this fall.
"It helps a lot to attend the camps. It gives you exposure to how they do things at the high school level while your are still in middle school. Coach Brewer taught me drills that first camp I still use at high school. You never know where you will play but once you do that helps. Durham Smythe was a lineman in middle school. The camps teaches you how to be a Belton Tigers and become a better athlete," said two-year starting quarterback Peter Shelburne.
Smythe is the Tigers starting tightend and has verbally committed to play for the University of Texas.
