Evangelical Free Church in Merritt, British Columbia, Canada, hosts volleyball camp for kids aged 10 to 14

The Merritt Evangelical Free Church, with help from Athletes in Action, hosted a volleyball camp at Merritt Secondary School from July 18 to 22. The camp was designed to teach and train children between the ages of 10 and 14 and to further establish the sport in the Nicola Valley.

The camp ran from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Evangelical Free Church Pastor Josh Dekker was one of the main organizers and said it was the first time the church had held an event of this kind. Planning took about three months. It also marked the first time the church had worked with Athletes in Action, a non-profit Christian sports ministry, which provided coaches and shirts. The church booked the venue, promoted the event and provided campers with a pizza lunch on the final day.

Dekker said the goal was to help children develop their skills beyond the regular season. He said the camp covered passing, setting, spiking, blocking and defense. He also said that only three or four of the children had previously played organized volleyball, while the others had experience mainly through school gym class, so many were starting essentially from scratch.

The camp had 21 campers. One of the more experienced players, a Grade 7 student with two years of experience at an elementary school, heard about the camp through a church youth group. He said the morning drills had taught him a great deal.

Because the event was sponsored by the church, campers also had conversations about religion with Dekker and other church volunteers. Dekker said the camp included discussion of the Bible and Jesus each day. “I want these kids to love sports but also for them to know and appreciate Jesus,” he said.

Dekker said the success of the event had opened the possibility of future camps in Merritt. He said the volunteers would like to repeat the format and improve on it. Speaking about the children and the value of teamwork, he said, “Working together as a team, for a common purpose is an amazing thing. It builds character every moment you’re playing it,” a picture of unity (Psalm 133:1).

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