NATCHEZ — If you hang around former Natchez High track coach Henry “Doc” Woods long enough, you’re bound to hear the word “elite” a time or two.

Even though he’s retired from coaching full-time, Woods is still in the business of developing elite track athletes. This summer, he’s looking to once again put on his annual development camp, even though dates for it have not been set.

“We’ll do registration (in the near future) and then get started. We’ll probably do it from 9 to 11 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. We’re going to try to get at least three weeks out of it,” Woods said.

The goal of the camp, Woods said, is to provide each athlete with the proper discipline as far as the general upkeep of the body.

“We can develop the arms, legs and body by way of stretching and running. This develops a good, flexible athlete. We also teach them about proper dieting, because as the saying goes, you are what you eat,” he said.

Woods plans to use the track at Natchez High School, and the running hills behind Trinity Episcopal as the two main sites for his camp.

“Having a new track will help. We can use it because its (lanes are marked off), and we can learn the technicality of proper lanes. We can also teach endurance, because having 400-plus meters, we can mount up and keep times,” Woods said.

“With the hills, it’s nothing like a straight plane, because hills will develop your total body.”

Woods said the camp has been happening annually for over 25 years, and usually results in Woods sending his campers to the Southern Association of Track and Field regionals. However, Woods said he wouldn’t be sending them this summer.

“We’re late doing it, so we’ll focus on development only this summer. We’ll probably get them earlier next summer in order to run and prepare them for that type of competition,” Woods said.

For more information, Woods can be reached at 601-660-1139.