PELLA— Registration is open for Central College's softball camps.

A youth day camp for players entering grades 3-5 will be staged June 20-24 from 9-11:45 a.m. each day. A junior high day camp for players entering grades 6-9 is set for Aug. 1-5, with daily sessions from 9 a.m.-noon and 1:30-4:30 p.m.

An overnight camp for top high school players entering grades 10-12 will be conducted July 31-Aug. 3.

Several successful college coaches will provide instruction, led by Central's hall of fame coach George Wares and associate head coach Alicia O'Brien. They'll be assisted by Millikin University (Ill.) co-coaches Whitney Sowers and Katie Tenboer, who helped guided their squad to the NCAA Division III Championship finals in May. Central's pitching coach, former Indiana State University head coach Brenda Coldren, will provide pitching instruction. Other coaches will join the staff as well, including former high school assistant Heather Rickard. Sowers, Tenboer, Coldren and Rickard are all former Central players with NCAA tournament experience.

Central's camps were established more than 25 years ago and have attracted participants from across the country. Participants will benefit from coaching on all aspects of the game including hitting, pitching, defense and baserunning as well as training in mental skills and strength and conditioning. Individual hitting and pitching instruction sessions are offered, along with daily games.

Wares is the winningest coach in NCAA Division III history with a 1199-401-3 mark over 34 seasons with a record 30 NCAA tournament berths and four national titles.

O'Brien spent 18 seasons as head coach at Western Connecticut State University with eight NCAA tourney berths and joined the Central staff in 2006. She's compiled a career mark of 869-393-3.

Additional information and online registration are available through the Central athletics website at athletics.central.edu/camps/.