By Andy Simek
LOCH SHELDRAKE — July 25, 2006 – Basketball season may be long gone, but kids from around the county are still getting a chance to hone their skills.
Sullivan County Community College held its annual Sullivan Generals boys’ basketball camp last week in the Paul Gerry Fieldhouse.
The camp was held from last Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. everyday.
The six-hour days were filled with intense drilling exercises, free-throw contests, three-on-three tournaments and a host of other games and activities, all aimed towards raising the skill levels of the 44 children involved.
Chris DePew, the Head Coach of the program, said that the boys, whose ages range from as young as 7 to as old as 17, had worked really hard for the entire week and added that he really saw a great improvement in some of them.
DePew likes the program because it keeps its participants in shape and boosts their basketball skills.
The kids like it because it’s a lot of fun and they get to play basketball all day.
Even the parents liked the program.
“It’s good for the children to have something to do in the summer time,” said Keith Penn, whose son Marcus attended the camp.
Penn, along with other parents, feel that it keeps their kids in shape and out of trouble, as well as boosting their confidence along with their game.
On Friday, the final day of the camp, the coaches awarded all the participants with certificates and a detailed report as to their progression through the week.
Some of the more outstanding students were awarded with additional certificates reminding them of their wins during some of the camp’s contests.
Four awards and plaques were also given to players in each of the three respective age categories for the following achievements: Most Valuable Player, Coach’s Pick, Most Improved and Mr. Hustle.
The winners of the MVP award for this years basketball camp were:
For the 7-9 age group, Isiah Jackson; for the 10-12 age group, Jesse Kapito; and for the 13-17 age group, Dustin Van Lieu.