Hurray for Fighting Owls
Firstborn Son completed a one-week basketball camp a couple of days ago and he came away with a souvenir program, a camp T-shirt and lasting inspiration from some pretty cool role models.
We paid $150 for the one-week b'ball camp, held at Glendora High and run by the men's basketball staff at Citrus College. Hubby was impressed that they are the reigning 2008 California state champions and 2008 Western State Conference champs too and we liked that Coach Rick Croy had coralled some of his players to help coach the camp.
There were about 100 or so kids, ages 6-14 and most of the kids had a pretty good foundation in basketball. My little one had none, save for occasional drills with his Papa out in the backyard. So Firstborn Son spent most of the time checking out the gym, talking Pokemon with other kids, and generally not breaking a sweat.
The Fighting Owls changed that. (Below, Coach Croy runs Joseph and company through some defensive drills.)
We paid $150 for the one-week b'ball camp, held at Glendora High and run by the men's basketball staff at Citrus College. Hubby was impressed that they are the reigning 2008 California state champions and 2008 Western State Conference champs too and we liked that Coach Rick Croy had coralled some of his players to help coach the camp.
There were about 100 or so kids, ages 6-14 and most of the kids had a pretty good foundation in basketball. My little one had none, save for occasional drills with his Papa out in the backyard. So Firstborn Son spent most of the time checking out the gym, talking Pokemon with other kids, and generally not breaking a sweat.
The Fighting Owls changed that. (Below, Coach Croy runs Joseph and company through some defensive drills.)
By the end of the week, Joseph knew about passing, rebounding, "blesh,"
and even some basketball trivia. (Coaches quizzed campers about local
and national basketball records and facts while they warmed up.) From
day one, he came home excited about camp.
I liked that they coaches stressed growing as a person and as a player, developing your skills and having fun. I liked that the bigger kids (10-14 year olds) treated my little one kindly, slapping him high-fives and patting his shoulder even though, as Joseph matter-of-factly stated, "I was the only kid to score only two points the whole week!" I liked how the college players were in turns playful and strict, treating my son with a patience a mother would applaud.
Alex Acker, brother of assistant coach Chris Acker, and a Detroit Piston, even spent the morning with the campers. Hubby was thrilled to shoot around with him, and spoke to him about raising a basketball player. His advice: expect a lot from your kids. Acker said his dad would put him in camps and clinics with better players, forcing him to amp up his game.
That's something I've promised myself to do. I do lip service to the "do your best" program, but I don't think I raise the bar for my boys as much as I should. I don't mean cracking the whip, literally, but expecting more from them than just scrawling their name or rushing through homework. I've learned from the Fighing Owls that my kids may very well rise to the occasion.
That's $150 well spent, especially since Joseph learned to look up to real basketball heroes (he's already asking when we can see them play) and his Mama learned that with the right attitude, I should encourage my boys to try harder and do better.
You can be sure we'll be back again next summer.
Here's Firstborn Son with his new role models: NBA player Alex Acker and Fighting Owl Phil Friesen.
I liked that they coaches stressed growing as a person and as a player, developing your skills and having fun. I liked that the bigger kids (10-14 year olds) treated my little one kindly, slapping him high-fives and patting his shoulder even though, as Joseph matter-of-factly stated, "I was the only kid to score only two points the whole week!" I liked how the college players were in turns playful and strict, treating my son with a patience a mother would applaud.
Alex Acker, brother of assistant coach Chris Acker, and a Detroit Piston, even spent the morning with the campers. Hubby was thrilled to shoot around with him, and spoke to him about raising a basketball player. His advice: expect a lot from your kids. Acker said his dad would put him in camps and clinics with better players, forcing him to amp up his game.
That's something I've promised myself to do. I do lip service to the "do your best" program, but I don't think I raise the bar for my boys as much as I should. I don't mean cracking the whip, literally, but expecting more from them than just scrawling their name or rushing through homework. I've learned from the Fighing Owls that my kids may very well rise to the occasion.
That's $150 well spent, especially since Joseph learned to look up to real basketball heroes (he's already asking when we can see them play) and his Mama learned that with the right attitude, I should encourage my boys to try harder and do better.
You can be sure we'll be back again next summer.
Here's Firstborn Son with his new role models: NBA player Alex Acker and Fighting Owl Phil Friesen.
What a wonderful entry! And, a true testament to the wonderful coaches we have at Citrus College. I am going to forward this link on to Coach Croy...I'm sure he will appreciate it.