By Macy Reeves for the FCT

This past week, the Russellville High School basketball team took some time off from practice to hold a basketball camp at the elementary school for third through fifth grade.

Coach Brooke Long, teacher Mallory Garrison, volunteer Richard “Flip” Graham and the Lady Golden Tigers led this event.

“This is the first time the girl’s basketball team has held a camp in many years. We’re looking forward to building a new basketball program to help get younger girls interested,” said Garrison, a math teacher at Russellville High School.

The camp showed the girls basketball tactics that would be needed in a game, such as guarding, shooting, dribbling and passing.

“I think it’s very important for these girls to learn basketball skills while they’re young, because each year that they play, they can get better than when they first started,” said Layne Boyd, a junior at RHS and a player on the team.

With the hope of inspiring a love of the sport at a young age, they practiced with the girls and made sure they understood how the game was played.

“I just want kids to develop a love for basketball at a young age – for them to understand principles like hard work are worth it in the long run,” said Long.