Hendrix College is making strong attempts to reach the youth out in the community through activity programs and upcoming camps.
David Bowser is in charge of directing and organizing the Hendrix Community Activity Program, which is geared for making changes in the lives of youth in the community. According to Bowser, the school is boosting its networking web to extend out to the community. There have been youth basketball tournaments in the Wellness and Athletics Center (WAC) since the facility's opening. But, Bowser said the WAC is going to be used for more than basketball.
"We are offering mentoring programs for the youth, football and basketball camps, and a few other things," Bowser said. "We are offering some programs where we get involved with some local churches or some local organizations. That way we're able to reach a greater range of children."
Hendrix College is preparing to pull in youngsters for its newly created youth football camp. The camp will start this Saturday and conclude Sunday. The camp committee reached out to both former and present athletes to help with the camp. Bowser said the volunteer response has been completely overwhelming.
The camp is for boys and girls entering grades 3-7. On the final day, the commissioner of the Conway Optimist Youth Football League, Jay Bernard, is scheduled to talk to the campers. Bernard will give a brief rundown of the league and he is going to give some things that are expected from the youth in the league. Bowser said the information that is going to be given throughout the camp, especially during Bernard's short talk will give those participants a head up on others going into the league's preseason.
"We reached out and was able to pull in some pretty knowledgeable of the game of football," Bowser said. "We're having guys like Ed Franklin, who used to play ball in the NFL to a guy that's going to play for (University of Central Arkansas) this year, Isaiah Jackson. The kids will have a chance to soak up some of pointers from some of the greatest in our community."
The WAC Warriors are a community based basketball team that practices over at Hendrix. Bowser heads the team, with players from the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades. The team does not serve as a substitute for AAU, but it was designed to go along with other summer programs.
"We just try to get those guys some exposure who wouldn't normally get it," Bowser said. "There are a bunch of talented guys that may not have had an opportunity to play for the school. So we give those student-athletes a chance to get some looks by some college coaches, especially when we get to travel to those national tournaments."
The team has taken trips to places out of town. The Warriors have won three tournaments this year. Just recently, the Warriors came back from the Primetime Nationals in Dallas, Texas, where they got bounced out in the Sweet 16, but not before going 5-2 during tournament action. The team has been operating through private funding, but Bowser said there are grants going forth to help with the costs next year.
"There was a lot of kids that got some exposure from Conway that weekend," Bowser said. "That was our goal when we created this team was to simply serve the community, and reach out to the kids. There is so much potential from these guys and we're just trying to maximize, just do the best we can with the resources that we have. And there are some nice resources over here in the WAC as well as those resources out in the community."
Hendrix College has collaborated with Pleasant Branch Baptist Church on an upcoming basketball camp, in which Chris Hervey is spreaheading the event that begins Aug. 11.
When school starts back in session, then Hendrix C.A.P. will pick back up on the mentoring program from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays. Any student from the community can get tutored at Hendrix or at their respective schools. The sessions are headed by students from Hendrix. The WAC is open with sports and activities every Saturday at 9 a.m. until noon. There is no cost for the children to use the facilities during that time, but everyone has to sign a waiver release form for the WAC.
