2nd Annual Fundamentals Camp

Wow, Uptempo Hoops has been busy.  April 14 was our 2nd Annual Fundamentals Camp.  I could just say it was a success...but would that be enough?  Our 1st Fundamentals Camp was a success, so we had a positive outlook on this one as well.  We decided to keep this camp to just grades 2-4 and a hard cap at 30 registrants.  At first, it was a little scary we would not be able to fill that 30 as expected.  We faced baseball and flag football.  Even with that, we were able to make our goal.

Welcome!!  Come on in

The camp started promptly at 9am Saturday morning with eager and excited campers lining up for check in.  Some of our 7th grade team members, as well as Logan High Schoolers helped volunteer coach.  Of course, we had the expert knowledge of our UH coaches and family.  The t-shirts were a highlight and everyone charged the table to receive their shirt which were powered by our sponsors.  Shortly, introductions followed and the group warmed up as one until 2 groups were formed.  In between morning drills, there were games played with prizes which included a dollar bill and Jamba Juice gift cards.  The kids loved playing the games and were just as excited to cheer each other on as they were to play the games.  The junior coaches were encouraging too.  There was a lot of fun with everyone filling Conley Caraballo Gym with cheers. 

Laughter and excitement bounced off the gym's carpeted walls.  With a small coach to player ratio, these players were able to receive a lot of attention and learn the fundamentals.  Groups were created so players can learn at their pace.  There were enough coaches to work closely with campers and make sure no one was lost in the shuffle.  The weather warmed up and it was on to lunchtime outdoors.  Perfect weather.  The kids were able to socialize with new friends and reacquaint with old ones.  The weather, after a week of rain, was warm enough for an ice cream treat.  Here come the strawberry mango Popsicles (courtesy of the Santos family).  The kids loved them...and so did some of us adults.  Some kids even came back for seconds.  The break was long enough to mingle, eat and just relax before group picture time.  Some kids left early, unfortunately, we didn't capture them in the group picture. 

Now the kids were charged up again for more basketball.  The groups were divided further so they can scrimmage 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 half court.  It was fun to watch them run drills and play each other.  The girls group was especially fun to watch as they cheered and screamed with excitement on every play.  Win or lose, they just enjoyed playing the game.  Older, more experienced boy group was a little more aggressive, but the fun was not lost.  There was laughter and encouragement.  The other side kept some of the younger and less experienced players.  They mixed it up with games and skill development. 

In the end, the kids were able to get more than the fundamentals out of this camp.  They made friends and learned the importance of respect for every player.  Parents are already asking when is the next camp.  Maybe UH will host another one.  This is an important fundraiser for UH, not because of the money made, but the impact we have on the children.  One child in particular I will remember was a boy with little confidence and soft spoken.  My son played baseball with him and one UH coach was a baseball assistant coach.  We both agreed that this boy, now in basketball and at our camp, was a totally different boy.  After speaking with his father, we all noted how confident this child was, how he always had a smile on his face and how he even took command on the court.  In baseball, you would ask him a question and he would often stare at you because he didn't have the confidence to answer.  You asked him a question in this camp, he answered, direct and confident.  His father loved seeing how our camp brought that out in him.  We did too.  That is our true success.  Another success story is how some of our participants were autistic or developmentally delayed.  To see these children be included without stigma and see the smiles on their faces.  This filled me up with joy. 

Having some fun!!

We make our camps affordable.  For 5 hours of fun learning, we charge one of the lowest rates around, especially for this small coach to player ratio.  It is like having semi private lessons.  The whole staff is proud of that day because we get to see first hand the impact camps like ours has on children.  Before being a part of Uptempo Hoops, when my son attended the 1st Annual Camp, I already knew how special a UH camp is.  Watching all 5 hours just reassured what I knew.  These are memories which carry a long time and that's something money can't buy.