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Helena High School hosted a youth summer basketball camp June 24-26 for students ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade where they learned a variety of skills. (Reporter Photos/Keith McCoy)

By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

HELENA – The theme “good habits” was a two-word motto used the week of June 24, as students from kindergarten through eighth grade learned valuable skills and more at the Helena High School youth basketball camp June 24-26.

The three-day youth basketball camp featured instruction from Helena girls’ varsity head coach Alan Skinner and numerous varsity players as campers worked on skill work, shooting fundamentals, team and individual competitions, three-on-three games, five-on-five games and more.

“With the older kids we did a lot of drill work and it was more like one of our practices so they could work on three or four different skills in one drill,” Skinner said. “Our theme all week has been good habits and something that can translate in basketball and in everyday life such as being on time, listening to your coaches, eye contact and stuff like that.”

Rising eighth grader Caleb Higgins has been playing basketball since the fourth grade and currently plays on the Helena Middle School team and spoke on what part of the camp he enjoyed the most.

“My favorite part was the competition and playing three-on-three and it was definitely really organized,” Higgins said. “The thing that helped me was they told me to hold my finish on my shot.”

More than 65 campers showed up to participate in the youth basketball camp that featured four hours of instruction in three days.

“With this community, they support so much as far as Helena High School athletics go,” Skinner said. “We had sixty something kids and I love it. It’s the way this community is and like I’ve said before, I’m very appreciative that they entrust their kids and money to us for a camp in the summertime and I hope we’re good stewards of that.”

Campers also received a T-shirt at the conclusion of the camp.

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