Hernando County basketball camp has something for every player
By Mike Camunas, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Thursday, July 2, 2009
Morgan Hnatiuk, 11, lines up a shot at the camp, which is for ages 8-14. Coach Marion Jones says no matter the different levels of experience among the young players at the camp, he teaches as if everyone is a beginner.
There's always something to learn. It's not any different in basketball. When Marion Jones heads up the basketball camp put on by the Hernando County Recreation Department at the Challenger K-8 gym, he knows he'll always be telling a player — experienced or novice — something new. "We try to teach them as if they don't know" too much, Jones said. "Even the experienced players we do that with. I like to get out there and ref the games because a lot of game logic goes into everything. Sometimes, they don't ask the questions when they don't know something, so we answer them."
Jones says game rules are always in play at the camp and they implement many drills, including court awareness, high skills and the marching drill.
"We work on basic fundamentals in the morning, and in the afternoon they get to play a little," Jones said. "They take the skills taught in the morning and use them then."
Jones said he gets a lot of middle schoolers at the camp — it is for ages 8-14 — many of them looking to start playing for the first time, but even more looking to get better in time to play for their upcoming high school seasons.
No matter where the players are coming from, Jones treats them as clean slates and always has new lessons in store.
"Perhaps some don't know, but they learn something new," Jones said. "It's better now (at camp) that they learn something they didn't know that is part of the game or what to do in a game than they not know it in a game. That way they stay in the game."
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