Hoop Camp - Life is Good

When I was little, my parents were eggheads. Lost in their respective worlds of literature and art, they could have cared less about sports. Though they were both in good shape - Dad cut and split the cords of wood that kept us warm in the winter, and Mom walked for miles every day - the whole idea of athletic competition was as foreign to them as was Greek to me.

Which is why I remember vividly my 9th birthday. There were only three presents on the table when I came down for breakfast - a Levi jean jacket, an indoor/outdoor, red, white, and blue, Julius "Dr. J" Erving- autographed, ABA basketball, and an envelope containing my registration to summer basketball camp at the local high school.

Life was good as I walked tall to school that morning wearing my jean jacket, dribbling my basketball, and knowing that I was 9 years old. And to top it all off, I was going to hoop camp in two weeks!

At camp I learned how to dribble with my head up (so I could pass to my teammates), how to catch the ball in the triple threat position (so I could shoot, pass, or dribble), and how to shoot a jump shot (which started from my toes and ended up with the ball coming off my fingertips).

It was a great week, and I'll forever be grateful to my parents for allowing me the chance to participate in something that was so foreign to them.

This past week, I went back to hoop camp. But this time I was not in Maine but at Incline Village High School, and I was not a camper but a coach.

Some things at hoop camp haven't changed: kids are still taught how to dribble with their heads up, how to assume the triple threat position, and how to shoot a jumper with a follow through so soft that it's like putting their shooting hands into the cookie jar.

But some things have changed: first of all, there are girls. About a third of the campers are girls, and these girls are every bit as athletic and tough and competitive as the boys. As the father of a young girl, I find it exhilarating to witness these athletes sweating, winning loose balls, and sprinting down court; these are role models I want my daughter to know.

Secondly, there are kids of all ages and sizes. We have six year-olds who have trouble reaching the rim during lay up drills and older players who take three pointers with confidence. Camp director (and IVHS head boys varsity coach) Dan Schreiber ensures that every player, regardless of her or his size, gets an equal opportunity to learn and to play.

Towards that end, the younger players use 8 foot baskets, and there are at least a dozen camp counselors from the IVHS boys and girls varsity teams who provide constant coaching and encouragement to each individual as well as distributing gift certificates for Subway sandwiches and 7-Eleven Slurpees to the winners of the various relay races and games.

And lastly, the language of camp has changed. I remember my camp coaches berating me and my teammates for losing. Not anymore. Greg Donovan, the avuncular assistant camp director (and Schreiber's assistant during the season), focuses each afternoon on a "Word of the Day" - words such as "Sportsmanship," "Teamwork," "Communication," and "Practice."

A focus on winning and losing is too capricious, especially when the purpose of camp is to teach. Donovan's "Words of the Day" reinforce the ideals towards which athletes and coaches should strive.

I am grateful to Coach Schreiber for allowing me to join his staff. This community is lucky to have such an idealistic, fair, and dedicated educator volunteering (neither Schreiber nor any of the other coaches get paid; all the money raised by the camp is donated to the high school) his time in order to coach young hoopsters in the fundamentals of not only basketball but also life.

There will be another camp session at IVHS next week from June 26-30; the session runs from noon to 3 p.m., and girls and boys from 1st-8th grade are welcome. The cost is $135 and scholarships are available. Call Coach Schreiber at 775-832-1310 for more information.

Next week, I'll be at hoop camp again . . . and life will be good.

--Steve McKibben
6/25/06