MORGAN COUNTY
This summer, the Morgan County basketball program has been trying to develop the skills of local players of all competition levels.
Most recently, the Bulldog staff hosted a youth basketball camp during the first full week of June. Roughly 100 kids from the ages of 7-14 participated in multiple drills and other fun activities while learning more about the sport.
Boys’ varsity head coach Cody Anderson acknowledged the importance of getting involved in youth basketball and how it helps the local players in the area.
“I was super pleased with the turnout, and a summer camp is such an awesome opportunity, because so much of high school athletics is competitive and win or lose. With a youth camp we can focus on the joy of the game,” Anderson said. “We had three objectives for all the kids, and that was to one, have fun, two, get better, and three, be the best versions of themselves.
The camp ran for four hours during the early parts of the day and was enjoyable for all the boys and girls that were in attendance.
Participants had to be there and signed in before activities started at 8:00 a.m. with the camp running for a total of four hours. Other than the occasional water or lunch break, attendants of the camp were constantly learning and getting better.
In the long run, Anderson admitted that it’s beneficial to get involved in kids’ basketball camps because some of those athletes might be playing for the Bulldogs one day.
“It’s fun for me because I’m getting to interact with kids I might be coaching at the high school level three to six years from now,” Anderson said. “The big thing is building relationships. We’ve got to make sure that these kids continue to enjoy playing the game as they get older, and then through that, instilling our core values of becoming better individuals.”
On top of the fun each camper got to have, they also got to learn from some former Morgan County greats that have had successful careers at the next level.
Players like Georgia forward Jailyn Ingram or Vanderbilt guard Tyrin Lawrence each used to be Bulldogs, and they came to the youth camp to share their wisdom.
Anderson believes those interactions with the kids, more than any, will leave a lasting impact on their basketball careers.
“We’re fortunate to be in an area that’s had a rich history of success, and having these guys come to camp was helpful for a couple of reasons,” Anderson said. “We need every young athlete and their parents to believe that they can reach their biggest dreams from Morgan County. We’ve got evidence of that, that we can show the kids real-life examples of former Bulldogs reaching their goals.”