After a Saturday midday, slam dunk contest more than forty high school teams from across Central Georgia and the state took to the hardwood scrimmaging one another in game like conditions with officials.
This is the summer conditioning season for many GISA and GHSA basketball teams across the state and Mercer is a very popular host site for such a camp. Coach Bob Hoffman, who is in his sixth season with the Bears, has been enjoying the role of host, while eyeballing some potential recruits. He says events like these never get old and benefit his team as well.

Hoffman adds, "This is a great opportunity for us to give back. Our guys are able to work and be around these kids. It's an opportunity for us to get in some team building, working these camps. We're blessed to have all of these young men on Mercer Campus this weekend."

The UC boasts 5 courts where all the action takes place. Hoffman wraps up the 3 day camp later on Sunday. If you can't make this team camp, you're in luck. Coach Hoffman has scheduled a second session, June 27th through the 29th.

After leading her team to a state championship as a sophomore and being named GHSA State Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior, she spent her senior season rehabbing a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus.

Gray will join the North Carolina Lady Tar Heels this fall, fully recovered.

"It feels like my other knee. I feel like I can go back to my old self [when I'm] playing. Maybe a new me, because when you come back they say your knee is even stronger," said Gray.

The rising UNC rookie says she is most looking forward to playing Division I basketball in front of a national audience while traveling with her new team.

The event is part of a series of traveling camps around Georgia and Florida that aim to show potential recruits what to expect at the next level.

It also provides recruiting exposure to players looking to pick up a scholarship offer.

Blazers coaches put campers through drills for their specific position within VSU's spread offense or 4-3 defense.

Head Coach David Dean said Valdosta found three players during last year's camps, along with several walk-ons.

The camp will travel to four more sites before wrapping up for the summer.

Spikes partnered with the Word of Life Church and USA Football to organize the event.

Campers went through drills focused on basics like passing, catching and running.  They weren't the only ones who got something out of the event.

Head coach Kurt Greene brought his Lady Bulldogs to Mercer as part of their summer schedule.

"We went to a team camp the other day at Stratford, played three games over there," explained Greene.  "We're going to play five games here and then we'll go to Georgia College towards the end of the summer."

Sandy Creek booted Mary Persons out in the semifinals last year.  Now, the Lady Bulldogs are looking for new talent for this season.

Members of the AAA All Stars:

Kh'Ron McClain, Deerfield-Windsor, 2B

Harris Webb, Deerfield-Windsor, SS

Davis Hines, Deerfield-Windsor, OF

Weston King, Deerfield-Windsor, P

Tyler Ward, Tattnall Square, C

Grayson Brown, Tattnall Square, 3B/P

Austin Simmons, Stratford, OF

Adam Barth, Mount de Sales, P

Brantley Attaway, John Milledge, 3B/P

Byron Strickland, Brookwood, OF/P

James Casanova, Brookwood, 2B

Eric Lee, Tiftarea, 1B/P

Taylor Boothe, Tiftarea, 1B/P

Hudson Clare, Calvary, C

Candler Rich, Heritage, OF

Dillon Hughes, Southland, OF

Trey Burton, Stratford, OF

Tyler Nix, Heritage, SS/P

Head coach- Ken Johnson (Brookwood)

Assistant coaches- Mark Hudson (Brookwood), Justin Mills (John Milledge)

Members of the A/ AA All Stars:

Caleb Shipp, Windsor, OF

JB Brooks, Windsor, OF

Rush Brown, Crisp, P

Jordan Howard, Crisp, P/1B

Blake Lamb, Randolph Southern, P/SS

Logan Duckworth, Terrell Academy, C

Ryan Garew, Trinity Christian, IF/C

Adam Clark, Gatewood, OF

Richard Lovelady, First Presbyterian, P

DeShaun Collins, First Presbyterian, SS

Logan Partenza, Piedmont, OF

Niko Mailloux, Bethlehem, P/SS

Jared Martin, Bethlehem, P/3B

Dante Jenkins, Central Fellowship, P/OF

Austin Weiss, Arlington Christian, C

Colton Everett, Brentwood, IF

Garrett Riggs, Brentwood, SS/P

Tyler Moore, Gatewood, P

Head coach- Aaron Phillips (Edmund Burke)

Assistant coaches- Ashley Walker (Terrell), Greg Roberts (Frederica), Brannon Bonifay (Brentwood)

Over 100 kids showed up at Westside High School for the free camp.  Jackson and teammates Johnathan Joseph and Brice McCain worked with campers on basic drills.

"We mainly worked on fundamentals, footwork and drills to help us get better at what we do in football," said Southwest junior Kenny Exum.

"I was always one of those kids that wanted people to come back and do camps and to be around NFL guys," said Jackson.  "For me to come back and be able to do this, it means a lot to me."

The kids were on the field for about three hours and received a free t-shirt.

Forty of the teams were from the Peach State.  One team from Florida made the trip to Macon.

Campers used five courts to scrimmage and hopefully impress some of the Mercer coaching staff.

"What's been interesting is so many teams have never been to Mercer," said head coach Susie Gardner.  "People are just amazed and wowed by our facilities. 

"Our coaches get to watch players compete. If we see a recruit that we like, we can go talk to them or their parents or their coaches, and its been awesome."

Team camp ends Saturday.  Elite Camp takes over on Sunday.  Coach Gardner is expecting around 100 girls.

Takeo Spikes, a linebacker for the San Diego Chargers, is hosting a USA Football FUNdamentals clinic at Washington County High School in Sandersville.

The camp, which runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., aims to teach football skills through non-contact drills, which will vary for different age groups. Youth ages 7 to 16 are invited.

Campers at the 2nd Annual Kareem Jackson Youth Football Camp will learn football, leadership, team-building, and self-improvement skills. Attendees should visit the Kareem Jackson Foundation's website to download a waiver form, and bring it with them to camp registration.