Photo by rocky ross
GRINDING IT OUT. High school and college athletes come to the Zee Speed camp for conditioning and preparation for their school sports seasons.
Speed, endurance and skills for life are just a few of the attributes that the annual Zee Speed camp offers its participants each summer from early July to mid August. Veteran Tacoma police officer Zach Smalls is the camp founder and director who has offered many Tacoma-area high-school and junior-high school kids a chance each year to improve his or her speed and endurance and to take on leadership skills in the form of daily “group” captains.
“The kids that come here on a daily basis are already good athletes,” Smalls said. “We just help them to build up their endurance and speed levels to go along with leadership skills which will help them later on in life.” Another important facet of the camp, which was held this year at Lincoln Bowl, is the weekly offering of both martial arts for the girls and yoga classes for both boys and girls, held at different times and days each week during the six-week duration of the course.
Brandon Taft, who starred in both football and basketball at Bellarmine Prep, talked a lot about the endurance aspect of the camp. “We are taught early on to always go hard on every single repetition and, along with the cardio edge I acquired, I will be able to continue working hard while my opponents tire out late in the competition.”
Excelling in both basketball and fastpitch at Wilson, Janessa Flynn likes two aspects of the course in particular.
“It helps me stay in shape for select volleyball and it also helps build up my endurance in every aspect of my physical activity.”
Louis Davis, Jr., who gained 927 yards for Don Clegg’s Wilson football squad, takes a lot of pride in the physical and leadership side of Zee Speed.
“I want to build up my endurance every day and I thank Zach for this great opportunity to excel. Two other things I want to take with me are the ability to represent my city and also making sure that guys around here are getting their work done,” said Davis, who will be going to Central Washington University to play football this fall.
People come from all over to attend this one-of-a-kind camp. One of the longest running attendees is Isaac Winters from Graham-Kapowsin High School in Spanaway, who has been coming to Zee Speed since his seventh-grade year.
“This is a great opportunity to improve my all-around physical abilities. I’ve improved on many things since my seventh-grade year.”
Winters, who has a full five-year ride to West Point awaiting him this fall, really appreciates the complete physical training course offered there.
“I’m down to a 4.4 in the 40 and have really seen the difference in my metabolism and cardio side, too. This camp will prepare me as well as anything, anywhere in the state, and there’s nothing better around.”
Those were just some of the testimonials to Zee Speed, training for life!
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