By KELLY WILSON

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

Quincy Medical Group's Maximum Athletics program wants area athletes to reach their full potential.

Day camps for athletes in sixth grade through college are being offered this summer to help meet that goal. The first camp will take place June 5-6, with a second one offered July 31-Aug. 1.

The camps will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at John Wood Community College's Student Activity Center. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.

"Becoming a maximum athlete takes hard work and training in many different areas -- speed, agility, strength, power, explosiveness and mental toughness," said Aaron Clark, director of sports medicine for Quincy Medical Group.

"Maximum Athlete camps are designed to teach area athletes training strategies that focus on all aspects of maximum performance so that each individual athlete will be able to apply these in their daily training routines," Clark said.

The camps are being offered in cooperation with John Wood Community College.

"It's the first time we've done anything like this," Clark said. "What we're trying to accomplish is teaching athletes the physical and mental skills they need to be able to perform at the level they want to perform at. We want people to understand the effort you need to give as an athlete."

Clark said the two-day camps will break down every element of performance and reinforce lessons learned through training and repetition. Groups will be broken down by age and sport, applying appropriate training drills and strategies for each individual.

"It pertains to any sport," Clark said.

Cost is $150, which includes instruction, training and a T-shirt. Camp staff will include performance enhancement professionals, athletic trainers and coaches from QMG's Maximum Athletics program and the surrounding Tri-State region.

To register or for more information, call (217) 228-2323 or go to quincymedgroup.com and click on the "Maximum Athlete Camp" link.

-- kwilson@whig.com/221-3391