Registration for West Point Parks and Rec summer programs opens

Published 9:48 pm Monday, May 13, 2019

WEST POINT —As one season ends, another begins in the Greater Valley Area as the school year comes to a close.

Many local recreational departments, including the one in West Point, are prepared to host over 12 programs this summer for students and adults alike. Registration for all summer programs opened on Monday.

“It’s very hectic,” Parks and Recreation coordinator George Greene said. “Baseball and softball are our biggest programs, and we’re in the middle of that right now.”

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West Point Parks and Recreation is where some of the areas biggest high school talents spent their summers growing up. Among current high school standouts, Chambers Academy rising junior Britten Stephens, Springwood School rising senior Miranda Butler, Lanett High School rising senior Kristian Story and Valley High School rising senior Daniel Osborne are just some of the athletes who grew up participating in the summer action under the department.

“It keeps the kids busy,” Greene said. “It lets them have fun, too, in a structured environment.”

The 18 and under baseball players will first meet on Friday night, and will begin playing soon after. Last year’s all-star team won the Dizzy Dean World Series. The championship group featured Springwood athletes Dylan Anderson and Trevin Williams.

The 16 and under softball league kicked off play on Monday night. Last year, the 16 and under softball team made the regional round of the senior league world series. Butler and Stephens were apart of the team.

Despite the success that teams from the league had last year, Greene said that it’s still a mystery how far teams are going this summer.

“You never know,” Greene said. “You never know where all the players are coming from, especially in that age group. Some years, they’re coming from Troup, Callaway. Some years we get [athletes from] Valley, Beulah, Lanett, you just never know what you’re going to get. It’s a long season with high school. Sometimes, kids who have played with you for 10 straight years decide to take a break, so we never know what we’re going to get.”

The summer camps begin on June 3. On that Monday, the summer playground program, the Point University Baseball Camp and the Point University Softball camps all begin. The softball and baseball camps are on the West Point Parks and Recreation fields and continue through June 5.

The summer playground program continues through July 19. The playground at West Point Elementary School will be open for children ages five through 12-years-old from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Breakfast and lunch are provided to the children at the camp, and the program’s daily activities include arts and crafts, youth fitness, athletics, drug awareness and other special events.

The popular art camp on 602 2nd Avenue, led by Brittany Shepard, begins on June 17 and will continue through June 21. From 9 a.m. to noon, children ages four through 13-years-old  can experience painting, drawing, textiles, sculpture and clay.

The Point University Soccer Camp and Troup High Youth Basketball Camps both return in July.

Adults can get active this summer too in West Point, as the coed softball league’s first meeting is on June 6, the FIT Boot Camp is on Monday and Wednesday nights, while the Zumba classes will be held on Thursdays and Saturdays.

For more information, interested participants can visit the West Point Parks and Recreation Department between Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.