Q: What camps will/have you run this summer?
“This summer, I ran the Trinity Lutheran Lady Cougars Basketball Camp for grades 1-8. For the younger kids (grades 1 through 5), we teach the basic fundamentals of basketball, such as dribbling, passing, shooting, proper defensive stance. For the older kids (grades 6 through 8), we continue to work on the fundamentals, but we do more advanced things in their drill work, and we try to get them up and down the floor playing a lot more than we do the younger kids. This past summer, I was helped out at camp by our players, who do a great job counseling the campers, and my assistant coaches.”
Q: Do you coach any other time during the year? If so, where and what sport?
“During the school year, I do not coach any other sports (besides girls basketball), but in the spring and summer, I help out coaching my son Hudson’s 7U travel baseball team. It allows me to spend time with him that I miss out on during our basketball season.”
Q: What’s your favorite part of coaching/mentoring?
“My favorite part about coaching is being around the kids and seeing the look on their faces when they have success. During the season, I always say your team becomes your second family due to the amount of time you spend with them. In coaching, just like it is for a player, you experience a lot of highs and lows, but when the team or a player has success, the highs by far outweigh the low times.”
Q: What is your coaching philosophy?
“Personally, I don’t think I have a true coaching philosophy. It changes from year to year depending on the makeup of the team for that given year. But the one philosophy I preach to every team is to play hard, play aggressive, play together and have fun. If we can go out and accomplish these four things more often than not, good things are going to happen.”
Q: How long have you been running a summer camp?
“This past summer was my fifth summer camp I ran at Trinity, and overall, I have been working summer basketball camps off and on over the past 20 years. I think it is important for kids to get out and be involved in summer camps because first and foremost, it gets them out of the house and they are being active. Second, regardless of what sport they are playing, it puts a ball of some type in their hand and they are improving their game. Third, it gets the kids around other kids their age and they learn how to compete. Most importantly, I think it is important for kids to be involved in summer camps because they are fun.”
Q: If the kids leave your camp with one thing, what would you hope it would be?
“When our camp is over, the one thing I want the kids to say is how much fun they had and that they want to come back again next year. Summer camp also gives our players a chance to interact with kids (and parents) who will hopefully come and watch them play during the season.” and it allows them to become a good role model to the younger players.”