Pursuit Beyond Basketball
Wow! Really great experience for GraceAnne, Grace Stone and Amara.
Brittany Hunter, Lorin Dixon, Grace Stone, Sam Brigham, Kaili McLaren, Mel Thomas, Gianna Smith, Amara Phillip, GraceAnne Woods, Heather Buck, Jaquie Fernandes
Yesterday I spent the day in Newtown Connecticut watching Grace and two of her teammates have an absolute blast at the Brittany Hunter, Gianna Smith Pursuit Beyond Basketball camp. All of the coaches seemed to be having so much fun it was impossible not to laugh and enjoy yourself right along with them. I think all of them being players themselves really gave a wonderful feel to the whole experience.
Fun and games aside they also managed to pack a tremendous amount of instruction into a day that seemed to fly by very quickly. When someone like Brittany Hunter, Heather Buck or Kaili McLaren instructs you on your footwork or how to execute a ball fake to go under your defender THESE GIRLS LISTEN! It makes a HUGE difference having people that have been there, that have been and continue to be successful, instructing these girls on how to go about their business. I loved that it was a camp for girls run completely by women, big difference from here on LI. Having my daughter spend any amount of time around these women is an absolute privilege not only because of their ability to instruct but also as a model to follow. These guys are at and have been where GraceAnne wants to go! Pretty cool.
Brittany Hunter, Lorin Dixon, Grace Stone, Sam Brigham, Kaili McLaren, Mel Thomas, Gianna Smith, Amara Phillip, GraceAnne Woods, Heather Buck, Jaquie Fernandes
Yesterday I spent the day in Newtown Connecticut watching Grace and two of her teammates have an absolute blast at the Brittany Hunter, Gianna Smith Pursuit Beyond Basketball camp. All of the coaches seemed to be having so much fun it was impossible not to laugh and enjoy yourself right along with them. I think all of them being players themselves really gave a wonderful feel to the whole experience.
Fun and games aside they also managed to pack a tremendous amount of instruction into a day that seemed to fly by very quickly. When someone like Brittany Hunter, Heather Buck or Kaili McLaren instructs you on your footwork or how to execute a ball fake to go under your defender THESE GIRLS LISTEN! It makes a HUGE difference having people that have been there, that have been and continue to be successful, instructing these girls on how to go about their business. I loved that it was a camp for girls run completely by women, big difference from here on LI. Having my daughter spend any amount of time around these women is an absolute privilege not only because of their ability to instruct but also as a model to follow. These guys are at and have been where GraceAnne wants to go! Pretty cool.
There really was a lot of fun going on though!
When the girls entered the gym Brittany knew who they were, she's a friend of Carrie Moore and Carrie must have told her about them. That was pretty cool because the girls felt comfortable right away. Sam Brigham who played on Hofstra last year also recognized GraceAnne from last summer's camp. It's nice for the girls to drive 2 hrs to a camp and feel right away like they have some common ground. Gianna Smith and I had a nice conversation about networking and how there are so many aspects to the entire basketball experience that go far beyond just playing the game on the floor. That is one of the cool things about this camp, it isn't just about time with the ball in your hands, they paint a bigger picture. The girls had an informative lecture on nutrition by a sports psychologist which is a great idea that we haven't seen at other camps.
A couple moments stood out to me. Amara watching Lorin Dixon, it was like she was mesmerized or under some kind of weird spell... like she couldn't believe someone could handle, move and shoot like that. Stone running a perfect three man weave with Mel Thomas like she could do it in her sleep. Brittany Hunter showing GraceAnne how to go under her defender with one long step to the basket and then Grace executing it perfectly. Fun stuff to watch and things that will stay with the girls for a long time. Always cool when people take the time to give something back! I wonder if these guys even realize the kind of impact and influence they have on these kids long term?
My only complaint... two days? No. Next year they need to offer a full week of camp! And, if they do? We will be there for sure!
Samara took them back for their second day. Can't wait to hear how it went!
A couple moments stood out to me. Amara watching Lorin Dixon, it was like she was mesmerized or under some kind of weird spell... like she couldn't believe someone could handle, move and shoot like that. Stone running a perfect three man weave with Mel Thomas like she could do it in her sleep. Brittany Hunter showing GraceAnne how to go under her defender with one long step to the basket and then Grace executing it perfectly. Fun stuff to watch and things that will stay with the girls for a long time. Always cool when people take the time to give something back! I wonder if these guys even realize the kind of impact and influence they have on these kids long term?
My only complaint... two days? No. Next year they need to offer a full week of camp! And, if they do? We will be there for sure!
Samara took them back for their second day. Can't wait to hear how it went!
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