BASEBALL CAMP, JUNE 12-16

Florence, S.C. - Young athletes will be introduced to the fundamentals of playing baseball during Baseball Camp 2000 scheduled this summer at Francis Marion University.

The annual camp, for kids ages 9-12, will be held June 12-16 from 9 a.m. until noon.  Conducted by Francis Marion head baseball coach Gerald Griffin, Patriot assistant coach Art Inabinet, and members of the Patriot baseball team, the camp will stress learning basic game strategy and making the most of individual skills.

Griffin, a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame, began the FMU baseball program in 1973.  He recently announced his retirement after 34 years of college coaching, during which he recorded a 736-521-1 mark (.585 winning percentage).  In his 28 years at Francis Marion, 15 of his players have signed professional baseball contracts.

Applications for the camp are now being accepted.  The camp will cost $43, if paid in advance, or $48 on the first day.  Enrollment is limited.  Each camper will receive a T-shirt.

For complete details, contact the FMU Athletics Office at 843-661-1240.

TENNIS CAMP, JUNE 19-23

Florence, S.C.- Francis Marion University will sponsor Tennis Camp ’00 this summer for boys and girls ages 8 to 18.

The camp will be held June 19-23 from 9 a.m. until noon on the university’s John Kassab Tennis Courts.

FMU men’s and women’s tennis coach Garth Thomson is the camp coordinator and instructor.  A native of Zimbabwe, Thomson is a graduate of Francis Marion and a former two-time All-American during his collegiate playing career.  He was recently named the Peach Belt Athletic Conference men’s “Coach of the Year” for the 2000 season. The eighth-year coach has led the FMU men to a 119-51 record and six NCAA Division II national tournament appearances, including back-to-back trips to the “Sweet Sixteen” in 1998 and 1999.  He has guided the Patriot women to a 97-62 mark and five national tournament berths.

Applications for the camp are now being accepted.  The camp will cost $55, if paid in advance, or $60 on the first day.  Enrollment is limited.  Each camper will receive a T-shirt. 

For more details or to receive a registration form, contact Thomson at 843-661-1185.

SOCCER CAMPS

Florence, S.C. - The Francis Marion University men’s and women’s soccer programs will hold several Patriot Soccer Camps during the summer.

A camp for boys and girls, ages 7-17, will be held June 12-16 at the ESAB Soccer Complex, located off Pine Needles Road.  The camp will meet each day from 9 a.m. to noon, and the cost will be $70.

A camp for boys and girls, ages 7-17, will be held June 26-30 at the Marion Recreation Complex.  The camp will meet from 9 a.m. to noon, and the cost will be $70.

A two-section camp for boys and girls, ages 7-17, will be held July 31-Aug. 4 at the ESAB Soccer Complex.  This camp will include half-day participants (9 a.m.-noon), and an elite full-day section for serious soccer enthusiasts (9 a.m.-4 p.m.).  The half-day fee will be $70 and the full-day fee will be $100.  Full-day campers will need to bring a lunch.

A new Mighty Tots Camp, for boys and girls ages 4-6, will be offered during all these aforementioned sessions (at ESAB and in Marion).  These camps will run from 9 a.m. until noon, and the cost will also be $70.

Applications and fees received a week prior to the start of the desired camp will receive a $10 discount.

The primary objective of the co-ed half-day camps is to teach fundamentals in skills, tactics, and team play.  The camps will emphasize improvement of individual skills.

The elite full-day camp will provide great challenges for the advanced player.  The training will be intense, and will focus on mastering technical ability and tactical expertise.

The Mighty Tots Camp will introduce soccer through fun exercises and games.  It is designed to let youngsters have fun while introducing soccer fundamentals, thereby ensuring a child’s first soccer camp experience to be positive and rewarding.

Francis Marion men’s and women’s soccer head coach Murray Hartzler is the camp director.  Other members of the camp staff will include college coaches, professional players, and current collegiate players.

Hartzler recently completed his sixth year at FMU, guiding the Patriot men’s team to its best season ever.  He owns a 151-108-27 record in 16 years as a men’s college head coach, including four conference championships, and a 65-21-2 mark in five seasons as a women’s head coach.  He holds coaching licenses from the United States Soccer Federation, and the advanced national diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association.  He is the past director of coaching for the NSCA in South Carolina.

Each camper will receive a T-shirt.  For more details, contact Hartzler at 843-661-1237.

MEN’S BASKETBALL CAMPS

Florence, S.C.- The Francis Marion University men’s basketball program will conduct three summer camps during the month of June.

The camps include an Individual Camp (full day and half day), to be held June 12-15, for players ages 9-15; and a Junior Patriot Camp, to be held June 19-22, for players ages 6-8.

The Individual Camp will be held from 8:30 to noon for half-day campers and 8:30 to 4 p.m. for full-day campers.  The cost of the camp will be $60 for half-day and $120 for full-day (includes lunch).

The camp is designed to provide individualized instruction in all phases of the game, and is tailored to meet the needs of all players, from beginner to the most serious player.

The Junior Patriot Camp will run from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. June 19-22.  The cost of the camp will be $40.  The camp is designed to provide individualized instruction in all phases of the game, with instruction geared to meet the needs of the beginning player.

All campers will receive a T-shirt and basketball.   

FMU head coach Ed Conroy will direct the camps, with assistance from Patriot assistant John Schweitz.  Conroy recently completed his third season at the helm of the Patriots.  He inherited a last-place program in 1997 and promptly guided FMU to consecutive 16-win seasons.  A graduate of The Citadel, where he was a three-year starter at the point guard position, Conroy has worked or directed over 50 weeks of summer camps, including several camps and clinics overseas.

Schweitz came to FMU in 1999, and previously coached at two NCAA Division I programs. After completing his collegiate playing career at the University of Richmond, he played professional basketball for five years in both the NBA and CBA.

For more information, contact the FMU men’s basketball office at 843-661-1247.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CAMPS

Florence, S.C.- The Francis Marion University women’s basketball program will hold a pair of summer camps: June 14-16 and Aug. 5.

A Fundamentals Camp, for players in grades 4-12 (rising), will be held June 14-16 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Smith University Center.  The cost of the camp will be $60.

The three-day camp will include instruction on the proper shooting techniques, passing, dribbling, scrimmage games, and “surprise activities.”

A one-day Shooting Camp, for players in grades 4-12 (rising), will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5.  The cost of the seven-hour camp will be $60, and it includes lunch.

The shooting camp will include instruction on proper shooting techniques, shooting off the dribble, free-throw shooting, challenging shooting drills, and fun shooting contests.

Each camper will receive a T-shirt.

FMU women’s basketball head coach Lee Buchanan will oversee the camps.  He recently completed his second season at Francis Marion, guiding the Patriot women to a 25-8 record, a No.17 national ranking, and the program’s third consecutive NCAA Division II national tournament “Sweet Sixteen” appearance.  Buchanan, who has won more than 280 games as a college head coach, has been conducting camps for the past 13 years.

For more information, contact Buchanan at 843-661-1249.

#151/5-9-2000