Over the eleven years of being a mom I have discovered that through sports my son has not only gained respect for each sport but also gained confidence in himself that I don’t believe he would have found without the push that sports gave him. Putting a child in sports not only helps them grow individually but it helps them to learn the value of teamwork, and the challenge of competition. At this point in the year my son is playing basketball which is the one sport that he seems to struggle a little more with. I’ve noticed that many of the kids struggle more with basketball then they do baseball or even football. I’ve heard a lot of basketball camps and have even thought a time or two about giving my son the chance to go to one. Basketball camps give extra knowledge of the game that is needed to play at the best level, the practice they need to play better and many times they are taught by experienced coaches or players. A few of the best basketball camps that I’ve found through my research are listed below.
Michael Jordan Flight School
What child or adult for that matter hasn’t at one time wanted to be like Mike? With his flight school offering five day sessions for boys and also co-ed ages 7-17 with Michael Jordan himself attending four out of the five it’s a no lose situation. Children will learn the fundamentals of shooting, dribbling, rebounding, passing and defense. With this being one of the most popular basketball camps there is a two week period to wait before confirmation of admittance and it is a first come first serve deal.
The camp is located at the University of California, Santa Barbara. There are 16 full court located indoors and outdoors.
Tuition is $750 for overnights and $599 for day time campers. Tuition covers meals, medical care, poster, t-shirt, team photo with Jordan in it, an autograph and certificate. Payment must be made in full by check or money order.
You can check out the website at http://www.mjflightschool.com/
Elite Basketball Camp
Elite teaches drills used by university level players. They focus on helping kids improve on balance, ball handling, shooting, passing and rebounds. Ages 7-13 are in the youth camp which has a low camper to staff ratio of 6-1.
The campers will be involved in scrimmages, tournaments, and shooting competitions taught by highly skilled coaches.
For information on location, rates, and the camp visit http://www.elitecamps.com/
Jason Otter’s School of Basketball http://www.otterbasketball.com/camps/
Each class focuses on the physical and mental aspect of basketball and is taught by Jason himself. There are several different camps to choose from, all are for school ages kids.
1 day camp- minimum of 30 students and is co-ed. Grades fourth thru twelfth and must be experienced to join. The class goes for seven hours from 9-4 and rates vary but begin at $80.
2 day camp- from 8am to noon is elementary and middle school while 1-5 is high school students. Rates vary but begin at $85
5 hour shooting camp- 12 players $160 per camper
Point Guard Elite- ages 13-18 four days on court and class plus overnight is allowed.
NBC Basketball Camp
This is the largest overnight camp and has been around since 1971. The NBC camp has trained over 200,000 athletes and work hard to hire coaches that love kids and life. The coaches are evaluated weekly by campers and staff. Coaches are given detailed training manuals and DVD’s with tons of drills to go over.
The atmosphere is positive and encouraging anything else is not tolerated! There is a $15 non-refundable registration fee.
Visit the site for locations and rates http://www.ussportscamps.com/basketball/Vendor.aspx?vendor=9
NIKE Basketball Camps
NIKE camps help kids to improve their basic basketball skills. The camp is for boys ages 8-18. Overnight campers, day campers, or extended day campers are welcome. Overnighters will be given food and housing, while extended campers are also given meals. There is 24 hour supervision and low camper to staff ratio.
Kids receive a NIKE t-shirt, workbook, evaluation and certificate.
visit the website for more information on locations and rates http://www.ussportscamps.com/basketball/Vendor.aspx?vendor=1
