Entering into high school and trying out for a sports team can be a bit intimidating for an athlete, but freshmen looking to be a part of the Newtown High School girls’ volleyball program this fall got a bit of a primer under the direction of NHS varsity Coach Tom Czaplinski and some of his players in the Incoming Freshmen Girls’ Volleyball Camp at NYA Sports & Fitness August 12-15.

During these two-hour afternoon sessions 13 girls worked on passing, hitting, serving, and some match play to get accustomed to the sport.

“We run through a typical tryout so they’re not nervous when they get there,” Czaplinski said. “For half of them it’s their first time playing.”

Some of the players have competed in camps and programs before and others are relying on their natural abilities and catching on quickly to get comfortable on the court. With time and more exposure to the game these athletes will become better and, potentially, work their way into not only the freshman lineup but also onto the junior varsity and also varsity rosters.

Not only the newcomers got a chance to get a jump on the campaign. Also in August there was the Middle School Girls’ Volleyball Camp held on the NHS court. This camp was designed to help players of all levels, in grades 5-8, reach their peak potential. NHS coaches said the camp had a fun, positive atmosphere, and a great training curriculum ranging from fundamental skills to advanced position-specific training.

A High School Girls JV & Varsity Volleyball Camp, at NYA, provided a chance for girls looking to join the JV and varsity squads to hone their skills and get better-prepared for the start of the season.

Tryouts begin on August 19 and there will be a couple weeks of practices as the teams are formed and gear up for competition. The freshmen, JV, and varsity squads all have matches at St Joseph of Trumbull on September 3 and will have their first home match September 9 when Darien visits.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.