A correction on my camera : it's a Kodak DX7440 with a 4x optical and a 4x digital zoom.

Yes, it has manual controls. There are several different modes on the camera. I've used the "Auto" and "Scene" modes, but there are also "P(rogram)" (camera sets aperature and shutter speed), "A(perture)", "S(hutter)", "M(anual)" and "C(ustom)".

Are there some general guidelines to taking pictures inside a school gym? Higher/lower shutter speed? ISO? Aperture? I'll also look around the website to see if there are suggestions on settings.

Otherwise, anyone have other camera ideas? I was going to give Santa some helpful ideas.