WINTER HAVEN – Softball season starts in the spring, but Polk State Softball Head Coach Kevin Lewis and staff will spend the fall helping youngsters sharpen their skills.

Lewis and staff will hold the first Polk State Hitting and Pitching Camp for Young Nesters, which takes place for 90 minutes each Sunday for three weeks. The camp will be held on Sept. 29, Oct. 6, and Oct. 13.

The camp is for ages 8 through 12. The cost to attend is $150. Those in the 8- and 9-year-old age group will take the field from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Ages 10 through 12 will participate from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Throughout the camp, athletes will receive tutelage from the Polk State coaching staff, which is comprised of three former college athletes. Lewis, a baseball player at the University of Olivet and Missouri Baptist University, represented the U.S. in international tournaments in Venezuela and Peru during his collegiate playing career.

Assistant Coach Tate McClellan led East Carolina University in home runs in 2019. Pitching Coach Madison Edwards was a three-time All-Conference performer at College of Central Florida and Emmanuel University. Lewis and McClellan will work with hitters while Edwards mentors the pitchers.

"There is a lot of softball talent in this community, and this is our chance to help sharpen their skills and get them ready for the spring season," Lewis said. "It's also a great opportunity for these kids to learn from coaches who played at very high levels and for us to showcase our facilities and introduce local families to our program."

Polk State College's coaches host camps to engage the local community and foster young athletes' interest in sports and higher education. While the summer camps are hosted by individual coaches rather than the College because they are on campus, students are introduced to the idea of higher education.

To sign up or for more information, contact Coach Lewis at kllewis@polk.edu. Those who wish to sign up should provide their name, age, position, and T-shirt size.