Putting together a summer camp can be a challenge if you have yet to organize one before. It can be even more difficult based on the age group. We have recently finished our third year of individual basketball camps for the age groups 1st grade to 4th grade and 5th grade to 8th grade, separately. Despite differences in age groups we start every camp out with the same event, the M.B.A. (Marlborough Basketball Academy) Combine. The campers love the concept of being evaluated. Our staff attempts to emulate the NBA Combine by testing out agility, vertical, and straight-line speed.
- T-Test for Agility
- Take Height – Reach – Vertical
- 3/4 Court Sprint
During the actual camp, for the younger group, we tend to put together a couple small hoops (set at 7 feet) with the use of girl’s basketballs for all campers. Our focus that we communicate with our staff (Varsity Student-Athletes) is to create a (1) fun environment, (2) a positive experience, and (3) provide one thing that they can go home with related to the game of basketball. In doing so we try to accommodate all skill levels through the use of a lot of basketball-related activities, competitions, and small-team games. The older group will look very similar in structure based on the schedule, differing largely by the amount of skill-specific drills or number of games played throughout the week.
Competitions
- M.B.A. Combine
- Layup Competition
- Game-Winners
- Hot-Shot
- Knock-Out
- Money Ball
- 1v1
- 3v3 and/or 5v5
- Camper of the Day (Explained what characteristics we look for during Intros)
Here is a template of a schedule (always subject to change):
Here are a few of the certificates used for our daily competitions:
Following the end of our camp, we like to provide a couple things campers can take home with them to remind them of our program. We tend to give each kid a wristband that our student-athletes are given each year. Additionally, the older group is provided a Skill Booklet that they can take home with them that can be of possible resource on a few things that we drilled or instructed at some point during their week of camp.
Coach's Climb 