Sporting the right skills

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Palmer and Meittines coach junior varsity and varsity baseball, respectively, at Clarke. In May the varsity squad won its fifth Nassau County title in 11 years.

After swatting fly balls to the kids, Palmer brought them into the infield to teach them the fundamentals of fielding ground balls. Brendan Turton, who will be a seventh-grader at Clarke Middle School, grabbed a grounder at shortstop and fired the ball to the first baseman, much to Palmer’s delight. “[The camp] helps develop my baseball skills,” said Brendan. “Coach Palmer has made me a better player on and off the field.”

The next stop was the Clarke gymnasium, where roughly 20 girls were involved in a heated field hockey contest. Clarke students have been playing field hockey since 1959, when it was instituted by former Athletic Director Joan Case. Clarke teacher Leslie Murray inherited the program from Case in 1988, and in years past has run the camp. This year, however, Murray handed the reins to Lauren Scripture, a permanent substitute at Bowling Green Elementary School who coaches Clarke’s J.V. team.

Scripture, who played field hockey at Ithaca College, said that teaching the sport to beginners has given her greater insight into coaching. “When you get them at this base level, you gain a real appreciation,” she said. “It’s just something I love, and it’s a good experience.”

Most of the girls had played other sports, like lacrosse and soccer, and were trying field hockey for the first time. “It’s really fun and very different,” said Rachel Rose, 11, a Woodland Middle School student. “It gives me another sport to play.”

Another Woodland student, Vanessa Froelich, said she was encouraged to pick up the sport by her aunt who used to play. But she joined the program, she added, mostly because it was a way for her to spend time with her classmates over the summer. “I really like field hockey,” Vanessa said. “It’s fun to hang out with your friends.”

The third camp was coed tennis, and a couple of dozen kids dotted the school tennis courts, learning the basics from Drew Clark, a Spanish teacher who said he has been playing tennis recreationally since college.

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