Patty Cake, patty cake...baker's man! Or do Chefs have all the fun!

Camp started back up today! It’s the first day of my second session of the summer. We hold the camp at the City of Bowie Gym, in Bowie, Md. Today was just registration and evaluation. The day only lasted 3 hours. It began at 1 pm and ended at 4. It’s really good to see the campers after having them earlier in the summer and now catching them at the end of the summer. There is always a lot of growth in them. Some campers that are regulars might have missed the first session, which we held in June, but then returned for the second session to sharpen up their fundamentals right before school starts.

We focus on a lot of fundamental work. We spend a lot of time on ball handling, footwork, team work and a basic understanding of the game and how to play. I always tell the campers that you can’t become a great player by just attending camp. If you want to be very good, you have to spend a lot of time by yourself, working on your game. I try to give them as much as I can in a week session. If they walk away from camp and have learned just one thing, then the mission is accomplished! We have camper that have been attending our camp for years. Some campers have been coming since they were 5 years old and to see the growth in their games is a unbelievable feeling. Yes they play game during the day, but they also spend a lot of time on the fundamentals of the game. I really try hard not to make it a baby sitting service. Most of the campers are exhausted by Wednesday, which is mid-week. You can see the differenced in how they come in each day. I make it a point to personally greet every camper in the morning as they are dropped off by their parents or rides. I know the majority by name and only struggle with the new camper but it’s a matter of time before a situation arises and you are forced to remember their names. Camp is a beast and it really wears you out but, I really love sharing my knowledge with the youngsters! The game of Basketball has been good to me. It paid for my education, it has allowed me to see the world, it has given me an opportunity to make a living and it has taught me valuable lessons. Life and basketball (sports in general) mirror each other and the same components that create success in one are the same that create success in the other. Dedication, Determination, sacrifice, perseverance, over coming adversity, planning and hard work are just a few of the ingredients that will help bake a cake of success! Eat up youngsters! Everyone wants a piece of that cake but, not everyone can learn to enjoy the art of cooking it!