Fall basketball camp at the Y will teach youth the fundamentals

The fall basketball camp at the Waxahachie YMCA aims to help youth build a foundation of basketball skills.

Coaches Josh Gunter and Timothy Wright believe youth are lacking basic basketball skills because there is no opportunity for them to learn and playing basketball outside is no longer a popular pastime. Gunter runs It’s Up 2 You Basketball and Skills Training Program in Waxahachie and created this camp to give youth the chance to strengthen their skills.

The co-ed camp will run the entire month of October on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. It is split into two sections, starting with ages 6 to 9 at 6 p.m. Ages 10 to 13 start at 7:30 p.m. Each section runs for an hour and 15 minutes.

While at the camp, children will learn the fundamentals of dribbling, shooting, passing, ball control and more. Wright said they go down to “the bare bones of basketball” and develop and reinforce each skill.

“The goal of this camp is to educate the kids, teaching the fundamentals of the game, bring the community together and get them prepared for season starting in November, so the kids will have that confidence to come out here and execute the game and play it right,” Gunter said.

Beyond basketball skills, they will learn how to be leader, work as a team and keep their body healthy and strong, Gunter said, noting all are important life skills.

The camp will have a Halloween theme night, allowing the youth to dress up in their Halloween costumes and receive a candy bag. Gunter said they will also have other fun activities for them to do.

They previously hosted a basketball camp over the summer and saw “great success,” so they are excited to host it again in October. They told the Sun they are talking about adding more camps in the future for sports like flag football, soccer and baseball.

To register or for more information, visit https://www.ymcadallas.org/locations/waxahachie/programs/sports/basketball.

Originally published Sept. 10, 2022 - https://www.waxahachiesun.com/sports/fall-basketball-camp-at-the-y-will-teach-youth-the-fundamentals/article_67dceb90-3147-11ed-8429-9b577daeee16.html