By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

HELENA–More than 40 kids and dozens of basketballs could be heard echoing throughout the Helena High School gymnasium on Tuesday, June 28, as Helena hosted the afternoon session of day two of a youth basketball summer camp.

More than 100 kids ranging in grades 1-8 signed up to participate in the summer camp that is designed to cover all aspects of the game of basketball with emphasis on fundamentals and stressing the importance of academics, character, teamwork and sportsmanship.

The camp is led by Helena head boys basketball coach Chris Laatsch and Helena head girls basketball coach Alan Skinner, as well as numerous assistant coaches and current members of both the boys and girls basketball teams.

Laatsch has hosted camps for a number of years and said he was encouraged by the number of kids participating. Both the HHS gym and the Helena Middle School gym were used for the camp to accommodate the large number of campers.

“With this many kids signed up to play basketball in Helena, that’s always a good thing,” said Laatsch. “I love camp and I enjoy teaching the kids but we also have fun while doing it. I want them to take something they learned from camp to be better and take it home and apply it. This camp won’t automatically make someone a good basketball player because it’s a game you have to constantly work at and learn but we try to teach them fundamentals and techniques so they can apply it.”

Some of the camp highlights included shooting fundamentals and techniques, stationary ball handling and dribble move drills, rebounding and defense stations, 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 games, free throw shooting contests, hot shot contests and more.

Rising fifth graders Brady Barker and Tristan Mitchell took a timeout from a free throw shooting contest to explain what their favorite parts of camp were.

“My favorite part so far has been the 3-on-3 games,” said Barker.

When asked what was one thing Mitchell learned at camp that he previously did not know, he said “learning how to shoot and learning the correct form like keeping your elbow in.”

For more information on other upcoming Helena youth summer camps, visit Podcasts.shelbyed.k12.al.us/hlhs-athletics/summer-camps/.