VALDOSTA — Once again, the Lowndes Vikings baseball program brought young athletes to the field this summer to sharpen their skills and build lasting bonds.

Starting Wednesday, the three-day camp explored summer fun and the game of baseball. At the heart of the camp is a morning focused on fundamentals. Campers rotated through fielding drills, throwing, and batting work, setting a foundation for future play. 

The Vikings’ varsity players help in activities throughout the camp. This creates connections that could lead to the campers coming back during the baseball season to support their favorite players. 

But after lunch, the tone shifts to an afternoon of fun, with games and team-building activities designed to strengthen the community on and off the diamond. That balance is intentional. 

The staff sees the camp as an opportunity to create friendships that could last for years. This fun includes watching movies with friends or escaping the heat on giant water slides. Head Coach of Lowndes High’s Vikings, Ryan Page, sees these bonds as healthy for the kids but also for a potential future Viking roster.

“You’ve got all these kids that grow up together and play together,” he said. “They come to camp together, then hopefully they end up in middle school together, and eventually build those bonds and get back to high school level.”

The baseball camp is just one of many youth athletic programs running this summer at Lowndes High School, creating a steady stream of activity across campus. Page expressed his pride in his system and the other coaches in the Lowndes family for their work in keeping children active and engaged even in the summer.

“This place is a madhouse all summer, and it’s just a testament to all the coaches and the way they run their programs,” Page said. “Hats off to those guys for doing year-round stuff with their players and camps as well.”