By: Sam Branch
Summers just aren’t for the boys anymore. The girls are taking over in full force and bringing softball bats, gloves and even a water slide with them.
The Cedartown High School Lady Dawgs softball team recently held a camp for aspiring softball players earlier this month at CHS. The two-day camp welcomed nearly 50 participants, ranging in ages 5-12 years old ready to beat the heat and dial in on essential skills like fielding, throwing, baserunning, hitting and the fan favorite sliding, which included a giant slip and slide. Josh Smith, head coach of the Lady Dawgs squad, stated this was the largest camp since he became involved in the program. The camp also brought together current Lady Dawg players and coaches to help run the camp. “Our overall goal is for every camper to have an enjoyable experience while learning new skills in softball or honing their skills that they may already have,” stated Smith when asked about the broader goal of the camp.
We know summer camps are essential to the king of southern high school sports, but they are also crucial to other sports. Especially when those camps involve the upcoming youth and the future of the sport. “These camps are important because it allows us to do a few things all at once; yes, it raises money and that is used to help improve facilities, provide our players with uniforms, equipment etc. But it also lets us pour into the next generation of Lady Dawg softball players the knowledge that us coaches and players have,” said Smith. It also allows the younger generation a chance to work directly with the older generation and get true one-on-one time with someone they can look up to. An opportunity perhaps to work with someone they may one day replace. “From what I see and from the feedback I hear from both campers and parents, the campers genuinely enjoy learning from the girls on the high school team,” Smith commented when asked about the interaction between camper and players.
When asked about the future of camps, Smith stated “It’s important for camps like this to keep happening, because we are now seeing players in our Middle School program who came to camp. We have alumni that now have kids at camp. It also allows us as coaches to see the overall interest and talent level of softball players in our town.” This is a promising sign from a promising program that has continued to take steps forward in the last few years under the leadership of Coach Smith. But these camps aren’t just about the future of the team and the participants, it’s about the players and the chemistry developed under the hot summer sun.
“More importantly, summer allows us to become more than just a group of players wearing the same uniform. We become a team. The chemistry, trust and relationships formed during those long summer days often become the difference when adversity hits during the season. Talent is important, but teams that are connected and committed to one another consistently perform at a higher level. Summer is where those connection are built.”
Smith also wanted to send a special message to all those folks off the field. “I’d like to thank our town, community and supporters for always being there for our team and our girls. There is something special about small communities and school sports. In a town like Cedartown, people don’t just support a team, they support their neighbors, their friends, their families and the next generation of young people who will one day lead this community. We are proud to represent Cedartown, and we are thankful for a community that continues to believe in and support our student-athletes.”
The 2026 season for CHS softball is right around the corner. The season will officially begin on August 1st when the Lady Dawgs will take on the Temple Tigers and then jump directly into region play on August 4th when they face off against perennial powerhouse Cartersville. The Lady Dawgs will also play big non-region opponents like Carrollton and Model and will continue their home and home series with their cross-county rival. This year though, there may be a few extra supporters in the stands. A few future Lady Dawgs may get a front view of their new friends in action wearing red and black and leave with dreams of making their own mark on the field at CHS.