Over 70 girls spent the first week of summer break working on their basketball skills during Dare to Dream Basketball Camp.
Girls in grades third through ninth worked on fundamentals every day such as ball-handling, defense, passing, rebounding footwork, pivoting, one-on-one moves and shooting.
“It helps us to really get them to play for us in a couple of years,” said Christine Rogers, head coach for Clarkston Girls Varsity Basketball.
She added it also helps seventh and eighth graders coming back this year who haven’t played since last fall.
“We are expecting them to wait until the winter to play. That is too much time for them not to play basketball. Even if they are playing travel to play with their teammates and the girls they will be sharing the floor with,” she said.
The girls are led by current Lady Wolves on the varsity team as they work on their fundamental skills and go through drills.
“It’s fun to go back and teach the basics because the fundamentals are so important to help them be strong,” Rogers said. “It’s good for them to see the varsity girls. This is an important part of building a program. The girls will see the older girls play and see them in winter league and summer camp. Kayla Luchenbach will know the girls’ names. They will see them at Leo’s Coney Island. It’s good.”
It also helps the campers to learn from the current players.
“It’s different than having a grown-up teaching them and telling them what to do,” Rogers said. “The current players can show them what to do and explain it to them. They still practice those skills themselves. Coach doesn’t practice those skills at practice. Coach is coaching. These girls do those drills every day during their season.”
The varsity players and alumni coaches pick also picked Camper of the Day at the end of each camp session and the player receives a water bottle. The Camper of the Day is chosen from the hard work the coaches noticed she put during the session.
“We have a lot of good kids,” Rogers said.
Dare to Dream is held through Independence Township Parks, Recreation and Senior. For more information or to check out other camps and activities offered this summer please visit www.itpr.org.

  Camps, Dare to Dreams