An early start

With school about to start, Fallon youth took an early start toward athletics this week as the Lady Wave basketball team hosted its first basketball camp.

The camp was held Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Girls from grades 3 to 9 reviewed basketball with the Churchill County High School girls team. Varsity coach Anne Smith said the sessions were broken up based on different aspects of the game — one group would work on defensive concepts, then offensive, and so on; they also broke into teams and played scrimmages.

There were about 40 participants during the camp. The children were coached in age groups and went to different stations where a high school player coached them. During the scrimmages, some of the varsity players joined in and played as well. Smith said this was a good set up since it gave the older players a chance to practice as well as allowing the younger girls to test their skills against more experienced players.

According to Smith the camp’s format was based on a summer camp the varsity team goes to at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho. The format as well as playing with and against older players were teaching styles used at the Idaho camp.

“We’re taking what we learned there and using it to teach the younger girls here,” Smith said.

While the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association’s basketball season doesn’t start until winter, the youth basketball league begins in September. Smith said the camp acted as a skills refresher for the youth league coming out of summer.

“That’s why we decided to do this camp at the end of summer instead of the start of September,” she said.

According to the coach, most of the participants have played basketball before, whether through the schools or the city team. She said everyone had a good time with the camp and added she felt it was good for the older and younger players to interact and teach across the ages.

The camp was hosted by the Churchill County High School girls basketball program. Smith said they hope to make it a regular camp for the high school players and younger girls.

“As long as we get interest (we’ll keep doing it),” Smith said. “It’s good for high school players to work with the younger girls in the community and it’s good for them to work with the older girls.”