BC hosts summer youth basketball camp

Registration for the 2014 basketball camp is now available. The camp will be instructed by Jeremy Eggers, the head coach for the Bellevue College basketball team. Part of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges, Eggers has been involved in Bellevue College sports for 11 years. “I’ve been coaching for 20 years now,” said Eggers.
Available for kids in grades two through eight, the camp will focus around teaching basic techniques. “We try to teach them the basics,” said Eggers. “We’ll give them some advanced things to work on, but the most important thing is the basic fundamentals.”
One of the goals for the camp is to teach proper form when playing basketball. Various exercises and drills are used to solidify these techniques. “A lot of ball handling, a lot of dribbling and a lot of hand-eye coordination,” listed Eggers, “and teaching them first the proper shooting mechanics on how to shoot a basketball, because a lot of them at the second grade, third grade, fourth grade even, throw it up [at the basketball hoop] and they develop bad habits.”
Maintaining proper form when engaging in physical activity is important not only for success and efficiency, but also to avoid injury. “We’ll spend a lot of time on the form aspect of it so they have the proper form,” said Eggers. “When they get older, bigger, stronger, they will know how to shoot the basketball rather than throwing it up there.”
Basketball can also be a mental challenge. “Passing-wise, we’ll teach them the different ways to pass a basketball,” said Eggers. Learning to pass is important in basketball, because fooling the opposing team with false intentions can be crucial to success. Learning techniques like faking and throwing the ball without teammate eye contact can help obscure the player’s passing intentions. Campers will learn how to differentiate between an air pass and a bounce pass and how to use them.
“It’s a great opportunity for the kids to come play basketball and learn some good habits. Coaches and players have been doing the same drills for years and an opportunity for [the campers] to get better,” said Eggers. “The most important thing is that they can learn some things to take home and get better at.” As the fundamentals are learned, the campers will also learn more techniques such as rebounding, screening and team strategies. While the campers will play a few five-on-five games at the camp, the focus of instruction is to build a good foundation on their basketball ability as the campers get more experienced.
The basketball camp will be held Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for one week on August 18 or 25. Rates are at $160 per camper. For more information, visit the Bellevue College Athletics website or contact Head Coach Jeremy Eggers in the Athletic Building.