For The Tribune

Seymour girls, age kindergarten through sixth grade, are improving their basketball skills at Seymour Owls camp this week at Seymour Middle School.

Jason Longmeier, head coach of the varsity girls’ team said there are 16 in the kindergarten through third-grade age group and 20 in the fourth- to sixth-grade camp.

“The focus with the younger kids is the basics; the dribbling, the shooting,” he said. “We worked on some defensive stuff, and then we did some drills. We got them playing some different activities, dribble tag, and some one-on-one stuff.

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“More than anything we wanted to get the ball in their hands, and teach them the importance of the fundamentals. We just continue to progress as we go.”

One of the campers in the younger group was Elizabeth Kirby, an incoming third-grader.

She said this is her fourth year attending the camp.

“I like that you get to try new things,” Kirby said. “I like games and that stuff. They taught you how to use your left hand and your right, and shoot to the corner of the basket. I enjoy mostly shooting side shots.”

During one of the sessions Monday, varsity players Maci Lubker and Lindsey Hume were helping the campers with their passing.”

The campers also worked on a lot of dribbling and they are encouraged to dribble with both hands,

Kirby said she also looks forward to attending the Springhill Camp.

The two groups have different priorities during their camps.

“With the older group we’ll do more activity, more game-time situations,” Longmeier said. “We’ll get them going a little quicker and get them going more two-on-two and three-on-three, more stuff like that as we go.

“As the week goes on we’ll split them into more drills and get through quicker, and finish with some more games. We’ll do some three-man weave, and full-court shooting activities and stuff like that.”

Jessica Hougland and Emilee East said this is the second year they have attended the camp.

“I just like playing basketball and meeting all kinds of new people,” Hougland, an incoming fifth-grader, said as the reason she is attending the camp again this year.

Hougland said she also plans to attend the Owls soccer camp.

East, an incoming sixth-grader, said she enjoys layup drills.

“They tell us to hit the top of the square (on the backboard),” she said. “I like to dribble right-handed better. I enjoy playing basketball.”

She said she looks forward to being on a basketball team at the sixth-grade center this winter.