RTHS girls basketball camp developing next generation of Lady Hub players

Rowan striving to teach and sharpen fundamental skills

Russell Hodges
Posted 6/19/18

Girls ranging from first through eighth grade have been lacing up their shoes and hitting the court at Rochelle Township High School this week as part of the Lady Hub basketball program’s yearly youth summer camp.

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RTHS girls basketball camp developing next generation of Lady Hub players

Rowan striving to teach and sharpen fundamental skills

Posted

ROCHELLE — Girls ranging from first through eighth grade have been lacing up their shoes and hitting the court at Rochelle Township High School this week as part of the Lady Hub basketball program’s yearly youth summer camp.

Rochelle coaches and players tipped off the summer camp on Monday, with camp sessions continuing through Thursday inside the blue gymnasium at RTHS. The summer camp aims to introduce young players to basketball while helping players learn fundamental skills and develop more advanced techniques.

“It’s great to see the kids work and have fun around basketball,” Lady Hubs head coach Tony Rowan said. “A lot of the things we do are skill-based but I’m really excited that a lot of the kids are excellent learners and they’re engaged the entire time. We keep things fun and a lot of the kids have the mind set of just wanting to get better.”

Younger girls between first and fourth grade step on the court first for the morning session of summer camp, while older players from fifth through eighth grade work out second during the afternoon session. When working with the grade-schoolers in the morning, Rowan and his players strive to introduce the game and present basic techniques needed to play the game.”

“We instill that basketball is a contact sport,” Rowan said. “A lot of the kids don’t like body contact but during our skill drills we emphasize making contact, whether it’s through boxing out, setting screens or trying to get to the rim… It’s hard to teach but we’re able to find ways through different games we play.”

For the more seasoned players just exiting grade school or who are in middle school, the camp works by helping the older girls hone techniques they have already learned previously. As Rowan said on Wednesday, the camp helps players add new skills to their bag of tricks, skills that can be used during Rochelle Youth Basketball Association, Rochelle Middle School or other youth games.

“Every kid that comes in the gym has a different skill set and we try to add smaller pieces,” Rowan said. “Whether that’s by sharpening their jump shots, attacking the basket with both hands and being able to pass with either hand, we try to go piece by piece instead of throwing chunks at them.”

As for all of the youth summer camps put on at RTHS, the Lady Hub summer basketball camp is designed to give younger players an interest in basketball and develop more experienced players in hopes of creating a foundation for future success at the high school level. For Rowan, the camp is an integral part of building relationships with Rochelle’s next generation of girls basketball players.

“I’m hoping that our high-schoolers are fully engaged through the camp week because we talk about how the younger girls are their biggest fans throughout the season,” Rowan said. “If we’re getting them excited about being Lady Hub basketball players, that’s where we want to be.”