All you have
to do is take a quick peek inside Xavier Prep’s Activity Center this week, at
the swarm of girls attending the annual basketball camp.
Xavier coach
Jennifer Gillom said she has 37 campers here probably one of the most attended
camps in recent memory.
The daily
sessions run from 2-4 p.m. and feature a wide range of drills to discover and
enhance skills at various “stations,’’ as well as brief 3-on-3 games.
Gillom is
assisted by junior-varsity head coach Laura Forbes and freshman coach Wendy
Woudenberg. There also are close to 10 of Gillom’s current players who will
return this winter, as well as the recently graduated power forward Katie Hassett.
Gillom
surveys the beehive buzzing with activity and smiles.
“You can see
it (enthusiasm) out there. You always have that with a new bunch, but this one
seems to have even more. We are really happy for the interest. When you start
winning, people notice.’’
Monday’s
(June 18) first day started off with a game that Gillom called “Pac-Man.’’
It featured
dribbling along the lines of the court, with the campers being followed by
those wearing yellow jerseys chasing after them, much like the Pac-Man video game.
If a camper is touched by the yellow jersey, they have to sit out.
There is
more dribbling after, then shooting, starting with the proper way to place the
ball in the hand before releasing it. Agility and hand-eye coordination were
tested with a three-player “weave’’ up and down the floor.
Work at the
stations then took over. Hassett, one of the state’s top rebounders last
season, showed the younger ones how it’s done, not standing directly under the
basket because rebounds would be few. She suggested taking a few steps back.
Gillom
planned to add a few new drills each day and review the ones previously
introduced.
“Some girls
have played on a team, but we are still giving them a ton of new stuff, how we
do things here at Xavier,’’ she said.
Among the group
are about 15 girls who will be freshmen this fall, all eager for a chance to
try out for the freshman team.
“Everybody
is learning how to communicate, learn about leadership. We are excited to see
how far they can go,’’ Gillom said.
Notes – After camp on Monday, Gillom
traveled to Thunderbird High in north Phoenix to lead the varsity team in a
summer-league game.
Xavier
defeated Phoenix Horizon 53-43 to run its record to 4-1. The Gators were due to
play again on Tuesday (June 19) at 5 p.m. against Scottsdale Chaparral. Their
final “regular season’’ game will be played on Thursday (June 21) at 4 p.m.
against Cave Creek Cactus Shadows.
Xavier will
play a “playoff’’ game on Saturday (June 23) at 11 a.m. against Glendale
Cactus. The playoffs are in a “one and done’’ format. If the Gators win, they
would play again on Sunday (June 24) at 4 p.m. against either Laveen Cesar
Chavez or Phoenix Sunnyslope. Semis and finals are on Monday (June 25).
**The
Thunderbird league also has a JV division. Xavier was 2-3 after Monday’s play.
The JV division
also will have a “playoff,’’ with the first game on Sunday at 11 a.m. against
either Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep or Phoenix Greenway.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful article. Last time my kids are went to the Summer Camp for girls and they enjoy and learned many things!
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