Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Jed Antonich, HHS Volleyball Camp

The Summer can be a slow time for sports, as school is out, which means it's the offseason for just about every high school athlete.

But as anyone who follows high school or even youth athletics knows, the offseason is becoming shorter and shorter and one of the great opportunities the summer can offer is the chance to attend sports-based camps, like the Havre High Volleyball Camp being hosted by HHS head coach Tamecia Jarvis and the Blue Ponies this week at the HHS gymnasium.

Jarvis said that close to 30 young volleyball players turned out for the camp, which opened Monday and runs through Thursday from 10 a.m. until noon One of those 30 youngsters is 10-year-old Jed Antonich.

While it may not be as common for boys to play volleyball, it's actually much more prevalent than one might think, especially at the high school level. According to MaxPreps, a high school sports website, there are now seven states in the country, as well as the District of Columbia, which offer boys volleyball. It's also a sport that has been growing on the collegiate level, as well.

So even though men's volleyball hasn't really made its way to Montana yet, either at the high school or college levels, the idea that it might someday isn't that far-fetched. At any rate, Antonich was able to work on some important fundamental skills along with his fellow campers, including how to serve, which is just one of the things players were taught Monday by Jarvis, her assistants and some Havre High players.

"It's been a good turnout," Jarvis said. "I think we have more kids than we had last year, so that's a good thing. Mostly, we are just trying to work on some fundamentals. We want to teach them some basic things and also give them a chance to play a little bit later in the week."

Players also worked on other techniques such as setting and receiving the volleyball. Jarvis said they would continue to focus on those fundamentals throughout the week while mixing in time for scrimmaging and other fun activities.

Thus, there will be plenty of learning to be done over the next few days. However, before Antonich and fellow campers finish out the rest of the week, the Havre Daily News caught up with him for five questions.

HDN: Why did you want to do volleball camp?

Antonich: "Because I wanted to have fun and play volleyball."

HDN: Do you play other sports?

Antonich: "Yes. I like to play soccer, baseball and volleyball."

HDN: What do you like most about volleyball?

Antonich: "Playing with my friends, serving and just getting to hit the ball."

HDN: What have you enjoyed learning the most about this week?

Antonich: "It's really fun to do serving."

HDN: Do you like to watch volleyball too? Are you a fan of the sport?

Antonich: "Yes, I like to watch volleyball. It's fun to watch them work together and celebrate and have fun together."