GREENVILLE — More than 100 young athletes spent the week learning the fundamentals of track and field as Greenville High School head coach Bill Plessinger wrapped up the 26th annual Greenville Youth Track and Field Camp.
The five-day camp attracted 110 campers this summer, continuing a tradition that Plessinger has led since returning to Greenville in 2000.
“I came back from Denver in 2000, so 2001 was the first one I did by myself, so this is year 26,” Plessinger said.
While Plessinger organizes the camp and handles the behind-the-scenes planning, he credits a large group of volunteers for making the annual event successful.
“I have a great crew of 24 helpers, all either coaches or former athletes,” Plessinger said. “Some of the former athletes come back. The Ells twins, Evan Manix, and then a lot of current track kids. Coach Reithman, Coach Gilmore, and Coach Winner have helped this year, so it has been great.”
Plessinger said the volunteers are essential to managing a camp with more than 100 participants.
“If it wasn’t for these kids and coaches here every day that control 110 kids, we could never pull this off with that many kids,” he said. “It’s a lot of kids. I have always called it organized chaos. It looks crazy, but everybody has a purpose. Every station is doing what they are supposed to do.”
The camp introduces participants to nearly every event in track and field, allowing campers to experience disciplines they may never compete in again.
“We have the campers do every event,” Plessinger said. “There are kids high jumping that will never be a high jumper in their life, but they experience every event. We don’t do pole vault, but otherwise we introduce the kids to every event. This is our way to try and get kids interested in our sport.”
Plessinger believes the camp plays an important role in introducing elementary-age children to track and field.
“This is our only medium in which to present our sport to kids, this and field day for fifth and sixth grade,” he said.
The week concluded with a long-standing camp tradition as campers walked to the nearby Greenville City Pool to celebrate the end of another successful week with several hours of swimming.
Plessinger said one of the camp’s greatest blessings over the years has been favorable weather.
“I have been very fortunate in 26 years,” he said. “In 26 years, we have had two rainouts for the camp. We have no backup. I tell the kids if it’s 8 o’clock and it’s storming, we don’t have camp that day, so we have been very fortunate.”
After more than two decades of leading the camp, Plessinger said seeing young athletes enjoy the experience remains his greatest reward.
“This has been a great camp,” he said. “I say that every year, but every year is a great camp because the kids seem to enjoy this. After all these years, I take pride in it and try to make it as kid-friendly as possible.”
