6 Tips For Hosting A Successful Camp

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...



Comments

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Frank John says:
9/18/2021 at 7:34:35 PM

Thanks this was very helpful

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O. Tyrell says:
5/24/2012 at 5:25:01 PM

Great tips! You are correct about incorporating character development. Not only do the parents love it, but the kids enjoy talking about topics that affect their everyday lives i.e. bullying and peer pressure.

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Robert S. says:
5/24/2012 at 11:24:46 AM

Thanks for the tips. Incorporating character development is one that I think most people forget about. Being that I officiate as well, nothing worse than seeing really bad attitudes (learned from professional sports) at young ages. If exposed and taught sportsmanship when their younger, might assist the high school years.

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Jon Fletcher says:
5/24/2012 at 5:20:47 AM

Great tips - How about some tips for organisers? We are organising our first club camp (new club) - any good ones?

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