How to Become an Elite Basketball Camp

How to Become an Elite Basketball Camp

There’s an old saying in basketball that teams are made in the winter and spring, but players are made in the summer.  

Right now, elite basketball players all across North America are making plans to spend their summers working on their games.  Some will spend it in the gym, others in the driveway or the park, and some may attend an elite basketball camp.  But with a limited time to work on their game, and hundreds of options to choose from, how does a basketball camp become an elite basketball camp and help truly develop a player’s overall game in the least amount of time?

Here are 3 ways some elite basketball camps are evolving to fit the needs of today’s players:

1)    Player Exposure vs. Player Development:

Five Star and ABCD tend to attract players looking to get noticed by college coaches and AAU teams, and therefore have more games being played, while camps like Nike, and Point Guard College offer an elite basketball camp experience by developing the players overall skills beyond the hardwood.  An elite basketball camp needs to offer a good mix of exposure and player development.  

2)    On Court vs. Off Court Development:

An elite basketball camp doesn’t just spend their time on the court doing drills and playing games.  These days, the truly elite basketball camps also offer video analysis, leadership training, and breaking down concepts in a classroom setting as well.  With so much of the game being mental, it’s important to consider the value of spending time learning how to think the game, not just play the game, and an elite basketball camp recognizes this.   

3)    Day Camps vs. Overnight Camps

Some of the best parts about basketball camp are not the time you spend on the court, but the time you spend making relationships that will last a lifetime.  An elite basketball camp doesn’t have to be an overnight experience, but they often can be.  If that’s what you’re going for this summer, make sure you determine how many days and how many nights your camp offers so you can get the best value for your dollar.

Summary:

As you plan for another summer on the hardwood, think hard about your options for how you’re going to spend your time.  If attending an elite basketball camp is part of your approach, make sure you take a few of these thoughts into consideration, so you can get the best experience possible for your game.

About the Author

In 2001, after a 7-year friendship with the late PGC founder Dick DeVenzio, Mano created his own program for point guards in Canada (the Point Guard Academy) in tribute to Dick. Over a 5-year span, the program attracted athletes from across North America and around the world. Mano is the President of Point Guard College and will direct Essentials courses on the PGC ’09 Tour.

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