COVID forced the Chilliwack Basketball Club to get innovative last summer, and it turned out to be a really good thing.
So Kyle Graves is doing it again, holding a number of outdoor activities in mid-July for boys and girls in Grades 1-12.
“With gym availability still scarce in Chilliwack, we are excited to offer programs such as our mentorship nights with university and professional players and coaches, along with summer camps, one-on-one and small group training,” he said.
Provincial health orders made indoor practices a no-go in the early days of the pandemic, and Graves responded by getting players outside for socially-distanced workouts. Kids enjoyed the experience of passing and shooting under sunny skies.
Graves added a mentorship component that proved popular. After their workout, players circled up around a fire pit, and listened as former University of the Fraser Valley standout Kayli Sartori and current Fraser Valley Bandits star Marek Klassen told them what it takes to play at the next level.
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“The feedback we got last year about our outdoor programs was tremendous from both players and parents. We were able to connect and give more feedback with the smaller groups than normal,” Graves said. “Last year we had over 75 players from Grades 3-12 participate, and this year we are looking at having over 100 players from Grades 1-12 take part in our outdoor programs.”
Players will be able to do more on the court in 2021. Eased restrictions mean they will be able to compete against each other in near-normal fashion as they work on fundamentals.
“Campers will develop ballhandling, finishing moves, one-on-one moves and shooting skills along with physical movement skills, a dynamic warmup routine, stretching and core and strength exercises,” Graves said. “We will be following the recommendations of the B.C. government’s return-to-sport protocols, along with our own safety plan to ensure as safe as possible conditions for all players.”
Graves is setting a maximum of 12 players per camp and registration can be completed online at chilliwackbasketballclub.ca
For more info, email infochilliwackbasketballclub@gmail.com or phone Graves at 604-799-8035.
