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closeJovial Jaguars unveil hoops camp for local community
A sea of green takes South Hill hoopsters by storm
Shaun Scott
Emerald Ridge High School basketball player Michael Guimond shouted words of encouragement to a handful of players who were readying to hoist shots from the free-throw line during a competition. As one shot found the bottom of the net, Guimond and a slew of campers erupted echoing words of joy to a player for nailing a shot under pressure.
This kind of positive atmosphere was apparent in all phases of Emerald Ridge Jaguars youth basketball camp for players between the ages of 8 and 16 from June 30 to July 3 in the ERHS gymnasium on South Hill. Close to 50 players were in attendance for the festivities.
“It just keeps on getting bigger and bigger every year,” Emerald Ridge boys basketball head coach Ben Muehlenbruch said. “It’s just a matter of getting the word out and people hearing about it. We have kids here from all over but the majority of the players here go to school at Ferrucci, Stahl and Glacier View junior high schools.”
Muehlenbruch loves seeing the players he coaches on a regular basis become coaches themselves at Jags basketball youth camp.
“All of our returning varsity players are out here coaching at this camp,” he said. “They’re teaching these kids what our coaching staff has been teaching them. It’s fun seeing them grow and develop their own game through helping others. For a lot of them its the first time they’ve had a chance to coach.”
Jaguars center Peter Ortega enjoyed guiding future Jaguars through the nuances of the game.
“I love the game of basketball. If I wasn’t here teaching them to play basketball, I would be out somewhere playing basketball,” Ortega said. “We’re teaching these players that the sport of basketball is all about defense. Defense is our main focus. We may work on offensive drills but defense is what wins basketball games.”
Muehlenbruch’s camp offered a wide array of drills and competitions including an one-on-one tournament, shooting exhibition, free-throw competition and a 5-on-5 contest.
“We encourage these athletes to compete against each other,” Muehlenbruch said. “We welcome the parents to come to see their kids compete. It’s a lot of fun.”
One of the oldest campers at the event, 16-year-old John Allen, enthusiastically praised the coaching staff for helping him out with his three-point shooting abilities.
“Brian Cook did a good job of teaching me a better way to shoot three-pointers,” Allen said. “By the end of the week my shot had improved immensely.”
Allen admitted the rigorous pace of camp took a toll on him physically.
“Hydration is a must,” he said. “This is intense. The coaching staff here is incredible.”