PHOTO CAPTION: More than 50 group and individual athletic camps will be administered
by the Ferris State University athletic program this summer. That will include a variety
of basketball camps, which will offer instruction from members of Ferris’ NCAA Division
II National Championship basketball program (bottom) as well as camps from other programs
such as golf (above) and volleyball (below).
Individual athletes and school-age sports teams have exhibited strong interest, as the signup period for Ferris State University Athletics Camps is underway. More than 50 sessions have been scheduled for indoor and outdoor sports, according to Athletic Camps Coordinator Mike Przydzial .
“Application numbers have been coming in at a solid rate, with our team camp inquiries
placing a number of sessions near capacity,” Przydzial said. 
“Those camps operate best when we welcome forty teams or less to either of the high
school-aged basketball team camps. There will also be sessions where participants
will be served by members of our men’s and women’s basketball programs, along with
exposure camps for individual athletes who hope to someday play college basketball.”
The basketball teams’ stock rose, in 2018, as the Bulldog men’s program won the NCAA
Division II National Championship and the women made 
their first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament appearance,
in five years, with an upset road win over Michigan Tech in the first round.
Przydzial said there will be six one-day football prospect camps will be held throughout Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, with the first coming Tuesday, June 12 at River Rouge High School.
“We anticipate that 200 to 250 high school athletes will take part in each of these sessions, which provide a chance to become acquainted with Ferris players and coaches, and to show off their abilities as college football prospects,” Przydzial said. “Ferris’ Top Taggart Field will host a prospect camp on Monday, June 18 at 1 p.m.”
Ferris continued its NCAA Division II postseason gridiron presence, in 2017, with the football team’s 11-2 season concluding in the regional championship game.
Camps are offered for a variety of other sports, as the Ferris golf, hockey, soccer, tennis and women’s volleyball programs offer the opportunity to experience their facilities, along with the chance to learn from collegiate athletes and coaches.
“Some participants have come to us through prize packages at university fundraisers and events while others, who affiliate with our coaches and athletic sponsors, come to Big Rapids with hopes of improving their skills and talent,” Przydzial said. “We welcome the chance to have these student-athletes see and make use of our facilities while they become more familiar with our coaching staffs.”
Przydzial said the veteran status of coaches like Bob Daniels and his hockey staff, and Tia Brandel-Wilhelm’s volleyball program are a definite attribute, as evidenced by feedback from students and parents.
“We pride ourselves on making a student’s camp visit a pleasurable experience,” Przydzial said. “Some participant families, who have gone to athletic camps on other university campuses, tell us the attention to our efforts toward skill development and the staff’s concern for their athlete were recognized and appreciated.”