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How to start your own basketball camp
How to start your own basketball camp
6 Tips For Hosting A Successful Camp
- By Joe Haefner
With basketball camp season approaching, it's crucial you are getting ready for your basketball camps.
Here are some helpful tips to hosting a successful basketball camp...
Make the camp purpose clear!
What are you trying to accomplish with your basketball camps? Is it to just have fun and create a passion for the game? Is it to have an intense skill development camp for serious players?
If you don't make this clear in your camp information, you can get players and parents who will not enjoy the experience because they're looking for something different. Younger players (typically 12 years and younger) need to be exposed to fun camps to build the passion for the game. While advanced kids who are ready for the next step, might prefer a more intense basketball camp.
Be organized
Being unorganized can be the death of a successful basketball camp, especially if you are new to hosting camps.![]()
It's vital that you know the size of the gym, how many hoops there are going to be, how many campers are going to be present, how many coaches are going to be there, what your camp schedule is going to be, and some back up drills and skills in case you get through things quicker or you need to abandon a drill that isn't working well. If you figure these things out ahead of time, you'll look like a seasoned vet.
Use drills that keep everybody involved.
Nothing drives a kid to boredom quicker, stunts player development, and prevents parents from signing their child up for your next camp than standing around doing nothing.
Even if it is a drill that requires one player to do the drill at a time, have them be involved in rebounding and passing. If there are too many kids, set up stations that allow you to keep more kids involved at once.
Taking the time to develop drills that keep kids active and parents happy will lead to more happy campers and more campers returning to your next camp.
Teach skills and drills that players can do at home.
Your goal for every camp should be to teach players skills and drills that every child could do at home or at the local gym.
Players and parents will appreciate you a lot more if you show them how to become better players beyond the days at your basketball camp.
Keep the camp moving.
Just like a practice, you shouldn't spend too long on any particular drill. Otherwise, you will lose interest and intensity from the players at your camp.
Even if you still want to work on the same skill, just use a different drill or a different format of the same drill. For example, you might want to work on form shooting. An easy way to keep working on that would be to vary between wall shooting, partner shooting, line shooting, backboard shooting, and shooting at the goal.
The younger they are, the quicker you usually need to progress to another drill.
I try to keep all drills under 10 minutes. Typically, my goal is 5 to 7 minutes.
Incorporate character development
A quality camp isn't just about developing basketball players, it's also about developing these young people into successful adults. Incorporate things such as attitude, hard work, loyalty, and kindness into your camps. Parents will appreciate you helping their children become better people. And when the children become adults, they'll appreciate you as well.
What do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...
How to put on a summer basketball camp
Your resource for building powerful sports programs
May 15, 2018 • Features • From the Bench • Winning Hoops
by Don Kloth, contributing writer
When I became a head varsity coach, I strongly believed it was essential to organize and run a youth summer basketball camp at the high school.
Prior to this time, there was not an organized youth basketball camp in the community.
I was 40 years old at the time, and I planned to be a head coach in that community for years to come. I believed an organized youth basketball camp program would pay tremendous dividends in the future years. It will always take a few years when you start something new to get it exactly the way you want it be, so it’s critical to be patient, work hard, stay organized, and have good instructors working your camp. In all likelihood, there will be some trial and error before you’re totally satisfied with what you’ve created.
When I started, these are some of the questions I had to consider:
- How many weeks should I run the camp?
- When is the best time to run it?
- How many hours each day should it be?
- What facilities will I use?
- What will be the cost per camper?
- Who will be the instructors/coaches?
- How much should the instructors be paid?
- What will be the camp’s format
- How do I advertise the camp?
- Will the basketball program make or lose money?
- What’s the real purpose of the camp?
Here’s a breakdown of each question and what I learned along the way.
How many weeks?After about three years of running the camp, we decided to run it just one week.
I know that some youth camps run two or three weeks, and there’s nothing wrong with that. My coaching staff thought that if we scheduled the camp early enough, and parents knew what week it would be, they could more easily work it into their summer plans. What we found is that many parents would actually plan their vacation around our camp. As a result, we always seemed to have good attendance.
What week is best?I was fortunate to have been the first coach that ran an organized camp at the high school and, as a result, I usually had my pick of when I wanted to hold it.
There were three junior highs and nine grade schools that sent students to our high school, so I checked their school calendars to find their last days. I also would check with my coaches about their availability, and I would then decide what week to run the camp.
Usually, it would be either the second or third week of June. It’s important to do your best to avoid holidays.
How many hours?After a few years, we decided to run the camp Monday through Thursday. We discovered that if we ran it on Friday, attendance declined significantly since families left town on a long weekend.
Grades four through seven went from 9 to 11:30 a.m., and grades eight and nine went from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Some might think that two-and-a-half hours is too much for grade-schoolers, but it was never an issue. Having the eighth and ninth graders during the early afternoon worked extremely well and gave us plenty of time to cover many areas of the game that we felt they needed to be exposed to.
What facilities can we use?We were fortunate to have outstanding camp facilities at the high school. During the morning sessions, we had a field house that had two full-sized courts side by side, and each court had six baskets — it was a perfect camp facility.
For the afternoon sessions, we had use of our main gym right across the hallway from the field house. I have worked camps were facilities were not adequate for the number of campers present, and this is a factor you must consider for your own event.
What’s the cost?We kept the cost of the camp as low as possible. I was not interested in making money for myself. In fact, I never paid myself a penny.
What I wanted was to make our attendance as high as possible. My goal was to have an outstanding basketball program at the school, and that meant reaching the highest number of kids. The community was a low- to middle-income area, so it was critical that I didn’t price them out of the camp. Learn about the makeup of your own community before setting a price.
Who will coach?I typically had a staff of five coaches, including myself. Most years, I was fortunate enough to have three coaches work the camp who were on my staff at the high school, plus one capable junior high coach.
I paid the coaches as much as I could, because the overall quality of a camp is determined by the staff that’s working it.
What’s the format?When it comes to the format, that varies greatly based on the philosophy of the head varsity coach. The fundamentals taught and the drills used should be relatively similar throughout the program.
For our fourth- to seventh-graders, we set up stations where they worked on shooting fundamentals (jump shot, layups), dribbling skills, passing and catching, perimeter skills, post skills, rebounding, and defense. We then did some full-court group work (passing, catching, dribbling, fast break) before transitioning to half-court games of 3-on-3 and 4-on-4. We would finish with full-court games.
We invited and encouraged parents of campers to arrive with 15 minutes left in the camp. We did this so we could tell them and show them the drills that we completed that day in camp. We received a lot of great feedback from parents on this.
During the afternoon session with eighth- and ninth-graders, we basically ran a typical high school practice. We started with offensive improvement — shooting, ball handling, passing and catching, post and perimeter work, free-throw shooting. We then did fast-break drills, rebounding drills and man-to-man defensive drills. We followed with half-court games and the basic offense of our program against man-to-man defense. We finished with full-court scrimmages.
How do I advertise?If you’re going to run a basketball camp, it’s extremely important to have multiple ways to advertise or disseminate information to prospective campers.
I was able to get an announcement in both of our local newspapers starting in early April, and I asked them to run it as often as they could. I would run off about 1,000 brochures and drop some off at the junior highs and grade schools in the area. I would take others and drop them off at the park district. The announcement in the newspaper would mention that the brochures were at the schools and the park district.
Interested campers also could contact me, and I would mail a brochure.
Once we had run the camp for a few years, I would mail a couple brochures to campers who attended during previous summers. I also contacted the local AAU programs to get names and addresses of potential campers. It was a lot of work, but it’s essential if want to get the attendance that you desire.
Will I make money?We never lost money on the camp; most years, we broke even. Each camper left with a basketball camp T-shirt, a camp basketball and a packet of drills they could work on during the offseason for individual improvement.
What’s the purpose?Here’s a shortlist of reasons for why we created a summer youth basketball camp:
- Create interest in the basketball program.
- Provide quality instruction on basic basketball fundamentals.
- Introduce the philosophy of our basketball program to campers and community.
- Have players come in contact with the high school basketball staff.
- Demonstrate to players, parents and the community that the staff is dedicated and willing to put in the work needed to have a quality program.
- Introduce eighth- and ninth-graders to our offensive and defensive systems.
- Create a positive learning experience for the campers.
Before you start running a summer basketball camp, make sure you put in the necessary thought and preparation about what you want to accomplish. I know that each school, program and community is unique, but hopefully some of the ideas help you get off to a fast start.
Don Kloth is the sophomore basketball coach at Warren Township High School (Illinois) and is the all-time winningest varsity coach at Lake County High School (Illinois).
basketball, summer camp
"First Step" - Winter basketball camp near Moscow
- Age
- 5-25 years;
- Categories
- basketball, sports ;
The camp accepts boys and girls aged 8-16.
From 17-25 years old, the Pro-Training group is formed. All trainings are held in groups divided by age and level of training, the number of basketball players in a group is 10-12 people.
Within ten days in ideal conditions you will improve the basic and special elements of the game, raise your level of basketball skills. Our task in a short time is to give basketball players what they do not receive in their training - expanding the arsenal of techniques, developing speed qualities, developing an understanding of the tactical foundations of basketball.
A good camp will keep the kids busy. Individual competitions, 3x3 and 5x5 games fuel the thirst for competition.
The program of the training camp will include three one and a half hour intensive training sessions under the guidance of professional coaches - the best coaches of our Academy, daily interesting basketball seminars, friendly matches, control tests and much more.
Key Benefits
- experimental
trainers - living conditions
- new
housings
Program
The program of the training camp will include three one and a half hour intensive training sessions under the guidance of professional coaches - the best coaches of our Academy, daily interesting basketball seminars, friendly matches, control tests and much more.
The program of the Basketball Camp will include three times a day (morning-evening) training under the guidance of experienced coaches of the First Step Academy.
The main task of the camp is to transfer the maximum amount of knowledge and experience that the coaches of the Basketball Academy have in a short period of time.
Each group is formed by age and level of preparedness. The main emphasis in our training is on fundamental skills, basketball stance, movement, ball handling, throwing technique, defense.
For the youngest camp participants, we have developed the Basket-kids program (in which students reinforce basketball skills through the game - it is on this feature of children's perception that the training of the First Step camp is based (separate groups are formed for players 7-8 years old).
Accommodation
Address: Moscow region, Dmitrovsky district, village Paramonovo, Sports Complex "Paramonovo"
IBC "Paramonovo" is considered a unique SPORTS facility of the national level for training events of sports teams of the Russian Federation.
It is here that the current and future champions of the country and the planet train.
Fully plunging into the atmosphere of the sports complex, you have the opportunity to feel all its versatility and originality. The complex includes a universal sports hall with a size of 650 sq.m. Its area opens the possibility for basketball training.
Accommodation in a comfortable double or triple room.
Each room has: LCD TV, refrigerator, air conditioning, telephone, internet wi-fi).
Meals
Three meals a day (the menu is compiled by the doctor and the coaching staff of the Academy).
Safety and medicine
A sports doctor from the Academy works at all training camps
About camp
- Founded:
- 2015;
- Leaders per squad:
- 2;
- Children in the detachment:
- 15;
- Children in the camp:
- 40;
Information from the official website of the camp "Winter camp of the Basketball Academy "First Step""
About counselors
-
Olenichev Danil Vyacheslavovich
Founder of the Basketball Academy "First Step" -
Krotenko Danil Sergeevich
Sports Director -
Mukhametova Aliya Gaptulbarievna
Sports doctor "First Step" -
Srokin Igor Alexandrovich
Trainer -
Kurkin Egor Alexandrovich
Trainer -
Chebanenko Evgeny Stanislavovich
Trainer -
Andreev Alexander Yurievich
Trainer -
Anikin Dmitry Alexandrovich
Personal Trainer -
Karpenko Mikhail Alekseevich
Trainer -
Plyushch Alexandra Alexandrovna
Trainer -
Zhidkov Mikhail Romanovich
Trainer -
Ershov Mikhail Viktorovich
Trainer
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What's included in the price
- Training uniform as a gift.
- Transfer to and from the camp site.
- Accommodation in a comfortable double or triple room.
- Three meals a day.
- Gym (for the senior category)
- Three-time basketball practice.
- Sports doctor.
- Organization of leisure activities for camp students (basketball seminars, basketball films, quizzes, educational games, table tennis).
- Training program.
- Leasing of sports infrastructure.
- Sauna.
Cost and shifts
At the moment, we do not have information about the shifts of this camp. to update information, and we will inform you about the appearance of profitable offers for this camp.
HUSCAMP basketball training camp in Moscow region
Individual training
For children from 6 to 18 years old of different levels of training
Game practices 1x1 | 2x2 | 5x5
We work in mini-groups according to the level of training
For more convenience - payment is possible in installments
SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
Who are our Basketball Camps for?
For beginners who want to try their hand at basketball
For those who are already involved in basketball and want to improve their skills
For players of professional academies and sports schools
For children from 6 to 17 years old and players from 18 years old of different levels of training
90% of children visit us again
HUSCAMP is a fitness camp that helps your child develop physically, psychologically and mentally.
We help children of different ages and levels of training to improve.
BOOK YOUR PLACE
Strong coaching staff
Specialists who have worked and trained for at least 5 HUSCAMP shifts and who are now fully committed to the development of children in their teams and training groups.
Training process according to
foreign methods
Our basketball programs are aimed at the individual development of each child based on his initial training.
We focus on the most important fundamental skills of the player. We correct the shot, work on dribbling and passing, put emphasis on footwork and physical preparation.
Friendly team
An integral part of our every shift. Friendly relations between the guys, common activities, games.
Gosteva
Daria
HUSCAMP trainer
Tkachuk
Alexander
HUSCAMP trainer
Basketball shifts are productive and interesting
Children from 6 to 18 years old and players from 19 years old come to us
Individual development of skills in mini-groups
Work on interactions, defense, quick transitions, attack
Game practice in tournament format (1x1, 2x2, 5x5)
Number of places per shift - from 40 to 70 players
New acquaintances, new friends, friendly atmosphere on shifts
Active children's leisure in the rest of the training time
24-hour security and communication with coaches
Child safety
Professional coaching staff who work and monitor children 24/7
Round-the-clock guarded territory of fees
Honey.
