For the second straight week, Clarkston High School’s gym hosted young basketball players eager to learn at the knee of Dan Fife from July 16-20. Joining the youngsters, seventh-ninth grade, were former Clarkston basketball players and other members of Fife’s coaching staff.
The Dan Fife Basketball Camp hosted about 100 players throughout the week. The boys worked on one-on-one moves, passing and pivoting, post up moves, ball handling and rebounding and shooting jump shots off screen plays.
‘It’s fun to work with the other coaches and seeing the kids progress from the first day. That’s enjoyable for us too,? Clarkston girls basketball coach and former Fife apprentice Tim Wasilk said.
Wasilk, a 1996 CHS graduate, enjoyed catching up with other former Clarkston hoops players.
‘It’s always good to get with the old guys and coach, talk and reminisce. It’s always good,? he said.
Fife likes to incorporate former players because their experience after Clarkston in college basketball is instrumental in teaching the kids.
‘Kids might hear the same thing from three different people, but the way one person says it might register,? Fife said.
‘They say it in a way a kid can understand it. It flicks a switch.?
Two incoming freshman took home hardware with to go with their camp t-shirts. Nick Pike earned camp MVP honors and Chris Canada took home the Coaches? Award.
‘It could have gone either way with these two kids,? Wasilk said.
‘They’ve been coming to camp for quite awhile.?
Wasilk noticed another strong talent base with this year’s campers.
‘Coach Fife is expecting a good future with these players,? he said.
The crop of players was interesting to Fife as he looked into the future of the Clarkston program.
‘If they continue to work and improve, there could be a lot of good players coming out of this year’s group,? Fife said.
‘And a lot of them are from Clarkston, and that’s exciting as a coach.?
After the week-long hoops binge, it’s up to the players to keep up their hard work from the camp.
‘It’s not what they learn at camp, it’s what they do with it when they get home,? Fife said.