Photo Gallery: City of Vicksburg Tennis Camp

Published 3:00 pm Wednesday, June 19, 2024

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Olivia Jones bounces a ball off her racket at the City of Vicksburg's youth tennis camp on Tuesday. The camp runs weekday mornings through June 27 at the Halls Ferry Park courts. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Young campers prepare for a drill at the City of Vicksburg's youth tennis camp on Tuesday. The camp runs weekday mornings through June 27 at the Halls Ferry Park courts. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Callum Bailey hits the ball at the City of Vicksburg's youth tennis camp Tuesday at Halls Ferry Park. The camp runs weekday mornings through June 27 at the Halls Ferry Park courts. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Clark Beasley waits his turn to participate in a drill at the City of Vicksburg's youth tennis camp. The camp runs weekday mornings through June 27 at the Halls Ferry Park courts. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Brooklyn Tennison and Jacob Tennison talk during a water break at the City of Vicksburg's youth tennis camp on Tuesday. The camp runs weekday mornings through June 27 at the Halls Ferry Park courts. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Aiden Sumners walks with a batch of tennis balls between drills at the City of Vicksburg's youth tennis camp on Tuesday. The camp runs weekday mornings through June 27 at the Halls Ferry Park courts. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Grace Tyler gives instruction to Remy Stanford at the City of Vicksburg's youth tennis camp Tuesday at Halls Ferry Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Jayden Murrah hits the ball at the City of Vicksburg's youth tennis camp Tuesday at Halls Ferry Park. The camp runs weekday mornings through June 27 at the Halls Ferry Park courts. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Hugo Fillmore picks up a tennis ball at the City of Vicksburg's youth tennis camp on Tuesday. The camp runs weekday mornings through June 27 at the Halls Ferry Park courts. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Dozens of young tennis players have hit the courts at Halls Ferry Park this summer to take advantage of one of Vicksburg’s longest-running sports camps.

The City of Vicksburg’s youth tennis camp began earlier this month and will continue through June 27. It offers instructions in fundamentals from tennis director Rick Shields and local high school players, as well as fun drills and camaraderie. Shields has operated the camp each June for nearly 15 years.

Approximately 40 players have attended the various sessions of this year’s camp, and there is still time to participate.

The camp runs Monday through Thursday, from 8 to 10 a.m. for beginners ages 5-18. The session for advanced players is from 10 a.m. to noon on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. The cost is $50 per person.

For more information, call Rick Shields at 601-618-4757.

Halls Ferry Park will also host the DSA youth tennis tournament this weekend. The event is for players ages 18 and under. Matches on Saturday and Sunday will begin at 8 a.m.

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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