UPDATE: The final weekend of Ole Miss softball’s winter camps is right around the corner. The final winter camp, which will run Jan. 26-27, is open for 11-year-olds to high school seniors, and will feature teaching from the Rebels.

The camp will have a defensive skills clinic in the morning from 9-12 p.m. on Jan. 26-27, and a hitting camp in the afternoon from 1-4.

Every camper at the defensive skills camp will need to choose two positions to work during the clinic. There will be a one-hour session each day with pitchers working on practice set up and game preparation. Catchers will also have the ability to work on specific catching skills at this session.

In addition to base running, bunting, slapping and hitting instructions, the preseason hitting camp in the afternoon will focus on circuit drills the athletes can use throughout the season to work on proper form, increasing bat speed and increasing power.

Oct. 23, 2012

Softball Winter Camps

OXFORD, Miss. – As the temperatures outside begin to drop, the Ole Miss softball camps will just be heating up. Ole Miss softball head coach Windy Thees announced Tuesday the Rebels will be hosting three weekends of tutorials during December and January where 11-year-olds to high school seniors can get valuable instruction from the Rebels.

Each of the three weekends will feature two separate camps, one three-hour session in the morning and another three-hour camp in the afternoon. The cost of each camp is $155, and the cost to attend both camps for any weekend is $285.

The first weekend of camps, running Dec. 8-9, will focus on speed, slap and bunting in the morning session and defensive skills and position play in the afternoon session.

The morning camp, running from 9-noon, will focus on the correct footwork, bat path and ball control. Campers will also get instructions on all facets of the short game, including the power slap, soft slap and drag bunt. Athletes will also get to learn drills to improve speed on the base paths and for getting out of the box.

The afternoon session will focus on proper fielding techniques in the infield and outfield. Each athlete will be able to work at multiple positions and learn the fundamentals of all positions. Focus will be on improving glove work, foot work, range and quickness, as well as the proper throw from each position.

The second weekend of camps will go from Dec. 15-16 and will feature a pitcher and catcher camp in the morning and a hitting camp in the afternoon.

Pitching work will focus on spin and form and how to improve on the basics of pitching, including location, spin, movement, velocity and change in speed. On the other side, catchers will focus on proper set up, framing, footwork to throw downs and blocking.

The hitting camp will be comprised of three hours each day of offensive skill instruction provided by the Ole Miss softball staff and players, as well as collegiate coaches from around the region. Skill instructions will include base running, bunting, slapping and hitting.

The third winter camp will have a defensive skills clinic in the morning Jan. 26-27, and a hitting camp in the afternoon.

Every camper at the defensive skills camp will need to choose two positions to work during the clinic. There will be a one-hour session each day with pitchers working on practice set up and game preparation. Catchers will also have the ability to work on specific catching skills at this session.

In addition to base running, bunting, slapping and hitting instructions, the preseason hitting camp in the afternoon will focus on circuit drills the athletes can use throughout the season to work on proper form, increasing bat speed and increasing power.

Interested campers can register online. For more information, please email Ole Miss assistant coach Julie Meyer at jameyer@olemiss.edu or call (662) 915-7186. All of the camps are open to any and all entrants, and is limited only by age, grade level and/or gender.

The Rebels will begin the second year of the Thees era with a doubleheader Feb. 7 against Saint Mary’s and Hawaii in Honolulu as part of the Hawaii Paradise Classic.

For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com. Fans can follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball and on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball.