Concordia College Alabama and the Selma Housing Authority partnered to hold an All Sports Day on Tuesday at the college.

The college had prepared for 300 students, but only 28 actually attended the camp. While that turnout is disappointing, it meant more individual time with college coaches for those who did take part and hopefully that one-on-one time will pay off in the future.

The camp included football, volleyball, cheerleading and soccer stations and was geared toward students that live in public housing.  We applaud any effort that encourages school-aged children to be active, especially in the summertime and this camp is no exception.

Not only did students get a chance to learn a new game or a new skill, but more importantly it allowed them an opportunity to visit a college campus. In that aspect, the camp was a win-win for both Concordia and the students.

For many of the campers, Tuesday was probably the first time they’d visited Concordia and in some cases, it might’ve been their first ever time at a college.

Dr. Donald Jefferson, the school’s athletic director and John Solomon with the Selma Housing Authority, both spoke about how they hope to improve the camp in future years. Since Tuesday was the first camp, organizers knew it’d be a learning experience.

The plan is to get to local schools early next year so that students know about the camp ahead of time. They also plan to move the time back a little bit — Tuesday’s camp started at 9 a.m. — so that students can sleep in.

We’re glad to see the college giving back to the community like it did in Tuesday’s camp. It’s a positive for our students and for Concordia.