From all accounts, the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) summer camps held at the Police Officers’ Club in Kingston and Irwin High School in St James proved rewarding for the participants at the closing ceremonies during the final part of last month.

The Kingston-based camp had 19 participants — 14 boys and five girls between the ages of six to 12 years old, including some students from Camperdown High, Alpha Academy, Holy Trinity High and Dunoon Technical High schools.

Shanicia Wright, a first former at Alpha Academy this coming school term, and Rowan Archibald, who attends the YWCA on Arnold Road, were the outstanding campers in the tennis learning sessions.

Anthony Gibbs, INSPORTS’ co-ordinator for the Kingston summer camp, said Archibald was one of the more enthusiastic participants in tennis, and the youngster is eyeing an overseas tennis scholarship to the United States in the future, with the hope of furthering his development in the sport.

The tennis sessions, which many of the participants were learning for the first time, saw them being taught the basic techniques, how to hold the racquet, positioning of the body, serving, retrieving balls, and returning shots with both forehand and backhand.

According Gibbs, the participants greatly enjoyed the Kingston camp, so much so that at the closing ceremony they asked for an extension of a further week or two since the reopening of schools has been delayed as a result the spike in the novel coronavirus cases in Jamaica.

Meanwhile, Sylvester “Chris” Campbell, sports officer at INSPORTS and co-ordinator for the summer camp in St James, said it was a very successful camp which the participants enjoyed tremendously.

Approximately 150 boys and girls from various schools in the parish, with ages ranging from six to 12 years old, participated in football, cricket, netball, volleyball, and basketball.

The participants were divided into three houses named for popular sports personalities, such as Bolt, Fraser-Pryce and Whitmore, where they competed against each other in the sporting disciplines they were taught during the summer camp.

Coming out on top was Bolt house, which amassed 256 points.

Guest speaker at the closing ceremony was Attorney General Marlene Malahoo Forte who presented the participants with their certificates of participation and gift packages containing food items.