By Robert Griffin

Sports Writer

Carla Winston wanted to give something back.

Serving as an assistant softball coach and head varsity girls basketball coach at Troup High School, Winston wanted to give something back to the town of West Point, as well as the community’s recreation department.

“I am from West Point, and I wanted to be able to give back to the community,” said Winston, who was a prep star at Hogansville High. “The community did a lot for me whenever I was young, especially the recreation department, and I just wanted to be able to do something that would give back just a little bit of what they have given me.”

So this year, in conjunction with the Troup County Parks and Recreation Commission,Winston is conducting the Troup High basketball clinic at the West Point recreation center.

The 20 or so campers who turned out for the first day of the event were greeted by the smiling face of Winston.

The children gathered at the event eagerly lined up to work through shooting and layup drills along with a plethora of other activities designed to improve their basketball skills.

As she led her campers through a drill where they dribble and weave in and out of metal folding chairs, Winston walks along the line, shouting out encouragements to the campers, with a bright smile stretched across her face.

“This being the first year of the camp, it’s going pretty well,” said Winston, who is preparing for her second season at Troup “I didn’t really want too large of a turnout, and we got 16, which is a good number. I wanted to be able to spend more time with them individually, and be able to do a lot of skill specific things with each individual.”

Winston handled things by herself on the first day of the camp, and she was hoping to have some help the rest of the way.

With 16 eager and energetic young people, Winston said she had her “hands full” doing it by herself.

Help or no help, Winston loves being able to put on this camp.

She said that summer camps like this one are beneficial to children because it gives them something to do besides sitting on the couch, or going out and getting into trouble.

“I love working with th kids,” Winston said. “They just want to have fun, and have something to do during the summer. It makes a big difference for them to be able to come out and have fun while learning basketball skills and a sport.”

Winston said that her favorite part of coaching the camp is being able to see a child’s face when they get a drill right, or make a basket.

“The lights on switch, they get that eyes-wide look to them when they finally get whatever drill that we are working on,” Winston said. “It’s an awesome feeling to be able to see that, and luckily I have already seen that look a couple of times today.”