Andy Harden, the primary coach during the summer camp, thanks the kids for coming out and participating on the last day of the camp.

MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County High school Packers basketball program and the Moultrie-Colquitt County Parks and Recreation Authority partnered to host a three day basketball camp at A.F. Shaw gym that began Tuesday morning for rising third thru eighth graders.

The camp saw about 50-60 girls and boys each day.

“I have to give kudos to the Rec Authority,” said Andy Harden, the varsity basketball Packers head coach, who was also one of those leading the camp. “They did a great job with the renovation of the gym and I want to thank them for allowing us to use it.”

On the final day the kids took turns scrimmaging. To keep things fair, each team got to play for five minutes before the whistle was blown for the next group to rotate in.

When a shot would be lined up from beyond the three-point line those who weren’t on the court joined together in an anticipated chorus of the word “three.”

Each time, that ‘e’ sound was held until the shot was either made, in which case the gym would erupt with excited hooting and hollering, or the ball would miss its intended target and the ‘e’ would trail off like that last bit of air leaving a deflating balloon.

However, even if it was the sound of the balloon, except for the occasional head shake or grunt from the shooter, the gym always saw a lot of smiles. “I’m glad to do something for the kids,” said Harden. “They all come here for different reasons, and I want to help show them there is a place they can come and have fun and have a coach who looks out for them.”

CCHS and MCCPRA hope to make this new summer camp a tradition.

“We are definitely going to continue this camp in the years to come,” said Harden. “We’ve got to start doing stuff like this more and invest in the youth because they are our future. This is all about the Colquitt County basketball program giving back to the community because they have given so much to us.”