High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
 By  J.R. Tidwell Published 
5:59 am Saturday, July 14, 2012

RHS and Park and Rec host camp

J.R. Tidwell/FCT Recent Russellville High School graduate Ayanna McCullough instructs as campers work on a shooting drill in the RMS gym.

RUSSELLVILLE — Russellville Parks and Recreation teamed up with Russellville High School to put on a basketball camp for local youngsters earlier this week at the RMS gym.

This marked the third year of the camp, which is run by Chad Sears of Russellville Park and Rec and Russellville head boy’s basketball coach Michael Smith.

“A couple of years ago Coach Smith and I decided to form a basketball camp,” Sears said. “It gives the youth a chance to come out and do something positive instead of sitting at home playing video games all day.”

Around 65-70 kids attended the camp this year, which focused on conditioning, shooting and other fundamentals of the game.

“We did this when I first got here,” Smith said. “Chad has been big with getting the city involved. They do the work, I just come in and instruct the kids.”

While the program aims at keeping kids active during the summer months, the camp has the added benefit of helping to develop the next group of players that will come through Russellville in a few years time.

“This is the first step before they play in middle school and high school,” Smith said. “It helps them get fundamentally ready for the game, and it helps us to watch out for future players.”

On hand to help out with the camp were current and former Russellville basketball players such as Jackson Smith, Ayanna McCullough, Adonis Robinson and Bud Coleman.

Helping with the camp gives a unique perspective of the coaching process to the current varsity players, who are used to being on the other side of the instruction.

“Without our current and former players it wouldn’t be possible to run this camp,” Smith said.

“I tell them ‘now you see what I feel like.’

I think that this is a way for our players to give back to the community and to get to see what coaching is like.”

Also on Franklin County Times
$4M paving project nears completion
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Russ Corey For the FCT 
October 1, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — The city is in the process of completing what is likely its largest ever street paving project. District 1 City Councilman David Palmer...
Barnes kicks off bid for Congress
Main, News
Russ Corey For the FCT 
October 1, 2025
SHEFFIELD — Colbert County Commissioner Tommy Barnes is ready to travel the Fourth Congressional District in hopes of convincing voters he’s the perso...
Cancer survivor Vaughn: Celebrate every day!
Main, News, Z - News Main
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
October 1, 2025
Elaine Vaughn’s breast cancer journey began 11 years ago. Her longtime OB-GYN had retired, so she had put off her yearly exam and mammogram for a coup...
Mansell rescinds retirement request
Main, News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
October 1, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Fire Chief Joe Mansell will remain at the helm of the Russellville Fire Department. Mansell, who has led the department since 2002, was...
Study links well-being of teachers with AI use
Columnists, Opinion
October 1, 2025
As a new school year begins, the attention of parents, policymakers, and the public rightly turns to students. But if we are serious about improving s...
Hubbard reflects as she retires from courthouse
News, Red Bay
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
October 1, 2025
RED BAY — Lifelong Red Bay resident Sherri Hubbard has spent the past 24 years serving Franklin County as a courthouse deputy. Before joining the cour...
Holt named the acting director of NACOLG
News
Russ Corey For the FCT 
October 1, 2025
MUSCLE SHOALS — Transportation Planning Director Joseph Holt has been named the acting director of the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments....

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *