Middlesboro wraps up basketball camp

Published 12:44 pm Thursday, May 30, 2019

By John Dunn

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John Dunn | Daily News A camper shoots a baseline jumper in competition drills.

John Dunn | Daily News Campers look on as others participate in competition drills.

John Dunn | Daily News A young camper shoots a jumper from the top of the key.

John Dunn | Daily News A young camper shoots a free throw in competition drills.

John Dunn | Daily News Campers show off their defensive stances in preparation for defensive drills.

The Middlesboro basketball camp is wrapping up after a week filled with learning, competition and fun. In his third year as the Middlesboro High School boys basketball coach, Lewis Morris enjoys putting on the annual camp. This year’s camp had 25 daily attendees, from first through eighth grade.

“We always have a good time doing this,” said Morris. “We’re trying to get ahold of these young athletes at an early age and help them develop into better players for the future. This camp gives you a good indication of what players are willing to put in the extra work and get better.

“The camp is set up for first through eighth grade, so we have about every skill level on hand. With the younger players, we try to stress fundamentals and knowledge of the game. We are trying to familiarize them with the game and the things they need to work on to improve for the future. With the older players, we focus on a lot of individual development. The seventh and eighth grade players are about to be moving into the next level of competition, so we are trying to get them acclimated to the speed of the game and the skill level that they will be seeing in high school.

“We’ve got a busy summer coming up, and we are excited to get to work with some of the younger guys tagging along. I’ve seen some very competitive players in here this week. The younger we can get ahold of these guys, the more we can work with them and prepare them for the next step. It’s one of the most rewarding things about being a coach is developing athletes over the course of a few years. Being able to watch a player grow is something that can’t be replaced.”