Are Basketball Camps Good?
If your child is among the 26 million Americans that play basketball, helping them hone their passion is an awesome idea. Basketball players don’t just have an awesome time during games, but there are scholarship opportunities open to them in the future if they’re successful.
Basketball camps are one of the best ways to give your little sports enthusiast the training and care that they need to rise above the competition. Here, we’re going to dive into what basketball camps are and why they rock.
What Are Basketball Camps?
Basketball camp is exactly what it sounds like: a program designed to help kids become better at a sport that they’re enthusiastic about. Camps are available for kids of all ages. Whether you have a 3rd-grade boy or a 9th-grade girl looking to hone their skills, there’s an option out there for them.
Some basketball camps are overnight, but they more commonly take place for a few hours each day. This is especially important for younger children.
Some camps for middle and high school children also have scouting opportunities. Also called youth exposure basketball camps, these programs showcase talented kids from high school and college coaches to give them a leg up over other players. Older kids at exposure camps have a higher chance of being recruited for competitive teams in the future.
Choosing the right basketball camp requires a bit of research. You need to select something that takes your child’s age group first and foremost. It’s good to let smaller kids mingle with older ones at basketball camp because they’ll learn new skills from more experienced players.
You also will want to look into the timeframe for each camp. Do you want your child to go to camp in the morning or the evening? How do you feel about overnight camp?
These are questions that you’ll need to answer. You also must consider how competitive the camp is. If your child just wants to play as a hobby, putting them in with players who hope to eventually play competitively might put everyone at a disadvantage.
Why Are These Camps Awesome?
Camps with scouting are awesome because they can put the camper on the path to becoming a college basketball player. This doesn’t just mean success, popularity, and a step towards making it into the major leagues. It also means that your child may be recruited by top-level colleges that otherwise wouldn’t admit them (potentially giving them free rides).
But what about camps that don’t have scouts? What about those for younger children?
Sending your kids to these basketball camps can help them train for future exposure camps. If your kid is serious about basketball, starting them young will get them off on the right foot. Practice makes perfect, after all, so practicing from early childhood is a great start to a possible sports career.
Healthy Physical Activity
The CDC reports that physical activity, when undertaken regularly, can have the following good consequences for children and adolescents:
- Lower risk of heart disease
- Lower risk of cancer
- Reducing blood pressure and the risk of diabetes
- Preventing osteoporosis by developing stronger bones
- Reducing the risks of obesity-related health problems more generally
Because basketball is a sport with a lot of movement, children are likely to reap the health benefits of exercise. They also will develop healthy habits and grow to love physical activity (since they’ll associate it with the fun they have when playing basketball).
Team Building and Social Development
Sports have also been proven beneficial for a child’s social and emotional development. This is especially true of team sports like basketball in which kids need to work together to achieve a common goal.
Getting kids to understand teamwork and the importance of togetherness helps them to make friends in the future. It also prepares them to work with others in academic settings (and, much later, in professional ones). Additionally, studies show that physical activity stimulates areas of children’s brains that make them happy. The endorphins it releases can improve the overall well-being of a kid that engages in basketball.
The like between playing sports and higher self-esteem is important to remember because of this healthy brain chemistry. Since basketball is a lot of fun, the excitement leading up to camp hours can also make children feel happy and at ease. Encouragement from coaches and teammates also is validating and can help to make kids more confident.
Experience Multiple Coaching Styles
If your child is serious about basketball, they’re going to get to know many different coaches over the course of their careers. Whether these coaches are high school, college, or even professional-level, each of them is going to have a unique style that sets them apart from other coaches.
Since basketball camp has multiple different coaches, it gives children the tools and knowledge necessary to acclimate to multiple coaching styles. This will happen outside of a competitive or high-adrenaline context. Camp is stress-free and gives kids time to get used to new things with little risk.
Becoming accustomed to multiple coaching styles also can help kids to learn more about basketball. They’ll get a diverse range of tips and tricks on skills and techniques that help them play. They can then apply skills that they learned from different coaches to upgrade their game.
Train a Top-Notch Basketball Player Today
While shooting hoops in the yard is fun and exciting for many kids, basketball camp helps kids to hone their skills. If your child is serious about playing in high school and college, you can help them fulfill their dreams with these organizations.
Now that you know why basketball camps aren’t just good but amazing, it’s time to learn more about how to help your child thrive in sports. Check out the rest of our webpage for ways that kids can succeed at basketball and love the sport that they’re passionate about.