Basketball camp offers fun and games, with a bit of learning on the
side
By Cheeto Barrera, Sports Editor, The Daily Independent
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DAILY INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY CHEETO BARRERA Members of the Cerro Coso
basketball camp do the crab walk after losing to the coaches in a
game of bounce out on Tuesday. |
The Cerro Coso women’s basketball program is holding its second camp of
the summer, this time directed at the girls, with a handful of boys who
joined the ranks.
Nearly 30 children signed up for the camp, with a few dropping off by
Tuesday, the second day of the camp.
“They seem to be enjoying themselves,” said camp director Tom Heck.
“They seem to be smiling a lot. I hope they’re learning basketball
fundamentals in the mix of it all.”
The participants took part in drills and games designed to help give
them a better understanding of the game.
Camp members are broken into groups and rotate between shooting drills,
passing drills and defensive movement exercises.
After the drills, the leaders would join each of the boys and girls in
various games, including three on five scrimmage or bounce out.
In most cases the coaches won, though on occasion in bounce out, the
players would get the better of the leaders, to the cheers of everyone.
Participants said the mix of having drills and games was fun and helping
them to learn.
“It is fun to be aggressive,” said Jordyn Rivers. “We’re learning
everything from proper play to proper shooting.”
Others said they enjoyed the style of the coaches who intermix enough
play into the learning process.
“It makes it easier to learn,” said Shannon Steich.
After a trio of coaches went through the various drills and games with
the participants, Heck would take over and go though the basics.
On Tuesday it was shooting and the proper technique.
“Elbow in and up” was the mantra for the exercise, with a demonstration
from Jose Hernandez, one of the campers.
So after Hernandez implemented Heck’s suggestions, it was off to another
area to improve. Then came the proper shooting stance and the “goose
head” follow through.
Each of the kids were then asked to practice the shooting technique
without balls.
Heck said the camp is better than he was expecting, though it is still
down from past years.
The 30 students who came out, is less than half of what he had come out
in 2004 when he had almost 70 participating.
Then came a little competition before lunch — race down to the end of
the court, dribbling a ball. Do that a couple of times and be the first
team of five to sit down and be the first to lunch.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
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© 2007
The Daily Independent.
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