LAKEWOOD — The Lakewood High School Girls Volleyball team is doing more than practice this summer, they are helping to coach younger players as well.

The Marysville Parks and Recreation Department held a volleyball camp for girls from 7 to 12 years old, at the Lakewood High School gym from June 25-28.

“We really stress the fundamentals,” said LHS Head Coach Tasha Kryger, also a camp coach. “It’s very cool to see how they improve from the beginning of the camp to the end.”

The elementary and middle school girls were paired almost one-to-one with volunteer LHS volleyball players to help with individual learning. And the young girls weren’t the only ones who benefited from the learning process — the high schoolers gained experience from the coaching process.

“It is really great for our girls because it makes them look like role models,” said Kryger. “We just finished our summer camp, so this is a chance for them to reinforce what they learned and use it in practice.”

The Parks and Recreation Ultimate Volleyball camp is a fundraiser for the Lakewood team, and those funds go straight to their Gold Medal Squared Elite Volleyball Training Camp where college coaches and players train the girls in a four-day, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., intense training session.

“It’s very intense volleyball,” said Kryger. “And we have it here to keep costs low and so more of our players can attend.” This year 27 LHS players made it to the Gold Medal Squared camp. Between 23 and 26 girls enrolled in the Parks and Recreation Ultimate Volleyball camp, so there was no shortage of coaches from whom they could seek help.

Brooke Forsell has been playing volleyball for three years and this is her first year participating in the ultimate volleyball summer camp.

“I really like it,” she said. “I signed up because I want to make it to the eighth grade team and I want to keep getting better so I can make it in high school.”

Forsell first gained interest in the sport when one of her friends who played told her how fun it was. “I’ve been playing at the Boys & Girls Club for years now,” she said. She has felt that the camp has helped her get better, and also been a fun way to kick off the summer.

“I like the camp, I like the games we play,” said Forsell. “They are fun games and not always volleyball related. But I also like the serving games.”

For those interested in playing volleyball at Lakewood High School next year, the team is holding open gyms throughout July on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Lakewood High School.