First year Bell County boys basketball coach Brad Sizemore hosted his first annual basketball camp at Bell County High School this week.

“Camp was great all week,” said Sizemore. “We had a great turnout. There were some really good kids there. It was a lot of fun. It wasn’t only fun for the coaching staff at the high school but also our players. Any time you get the chance to work with the kids, that’s a good thing.

“It was just a fun week. It was good for me just being new and being able to see some of the younger kids play. We had a great time with it. I was really encouraged by it. The number of kids that turned out for the camp was really awesome.”

Sizemore sees a good blend of young talent in the area.

“I saw a really good mix of all levels of talent,” said Sizemore. “There are some really good middle school players that we are excited about, as well as some younger kids that show a lot of potential.”

“These kids were working hard every single day. It made me happy to see all of the age groups coming in and trying to get better. It’s a good sign for the future of Bell County basketball.”

With his first annual camp a success, Sizemore intends on continuing the camp every year. “This is something I plan on doing year in and year out,” said Sizemore. “I usually do them in June but didn’t get here until a little later.

“With it being July and everything, most people are on vacation right now. We were a little worried about the turn out, but we ended up having 45 kids. We were very pleased.

“I really also want to thank Brain Redmond with Short-Redmond auto group for sponsoring our camp and helping us put this thing on, we really appreciate it.”

Sizemore spent the past eight years as head coach of the North Laurel Jaguars boys varsity basketball team. In his first year with the Jaguars, he lead North Laurel to its first and only 13th Region Tournament title with a win over 49th District opponent Clay County.