Question re: Chris Mack Basketball Camp

[principal]

I am trying to decide whether or not to send my going-into-third-grade son to the Chris Mack basketball camp. He loves Xavier Basketball and would be thrilled to attend, but I am more interested in his skill development than him being "wowed" by being at X. I have two questions:

1. Could someone tell me what they think of the camp strictly from a skill development/quality of instruction standpoint?
2. Were the kids generally well behaved and what kind of control does the staff have over them...are they following instruction and learning or are they acting like wild animals (if you know what I mean)?

I am not at all interested in what sort of gear he will pick up and how much he might interact with Chris and the team. Those things would a great bonus, and all things being equal would sway my decision, but my primary concern is the quality of the instruction.

If anyone could advise I would be grateful.


principal

[D-West & PO-Z]

I find these types of camps as more of a bonus in getting quality instruction. The reason kids love to go to these is because of getting to interact with the players and playing ball on XU's court, etc.

I went as a kid to Prosser's camp several times and had James Posey as my team coach one year and loved it, it was so cool to have him as our coach. We got some good instruction but I dont think that is the primary purpose of these types of camps.

My brother went to 5 star basketball camp as a kid, that is the type of camp that is probably more focused on instruction, etc.

If your kid is an XU fan I would send him, he would probably love it. Would probably pick up on some things too but my opinion is only what my experience was as a kid at XU bball camp.

[Cheesehead]

My son went a few times when he was younger. He is now 18 and just finished his HS career. My son played AAU for several years and had D-3 interest but he has decided to hang it up. I would probably save the XU camp as a special one time thing. It is well organized and the kids seem to enjoy it. Having said that your son would probably receive more individualized skill development at a local HS/YMCA/ camp. I know there are also camps out of Kids First (Ronnie Grandison) and Court for Sports and Google Xcel basketball and the Improved Basketball Camp run by former NKU player, Paul Cluxton.

[xu82]

Send him to Brad for shooting instruction!!! My kids went to a bunch of these and it shocked me at how much they varied. Some were like day care with chubby kids doing snow angels midcourt (Winthrop in the Greg Marshall days). Others were more about intense game action (UNC) while some were like boot camps and more instruction based but really hard, even for serious kids (Five Star- Pittsburgh and Oglethorpe). Duke had kids playing outdoors on blacktop mid-summer passing out from the heat.You're doing the right thing to ask about recent camps specifically at X.

[principal]

Thanks for the answers, it is greatly appreciated. My son is a huge fan of basketball in general and XU in particular, so I am sure he would love to go...but it sounds like another option might be better in relation to instruction. I will definitely check out the suggestions above.

Does anyone have an opinion on the AIA camps? A friend of his is signed up for one this summer, but again, I want to send him somewhere that makes sense, not just somewhere that he can hang with his buddies.

Thanks again.

principal

[waggy]

I'm not sure I even knew what a basketball was until maybe 5th grade. I might've known a football was different than other balls.

[principal]

I'm not sure I even knew what a basketball was until maybe 5th grade. I might've known a football was different than other balls.

I hear you Waggy, I've been thinking I shouldn't over think this, just let him go have fun. However, if I am going to spend the money he might as well get as much out of it as possible. All he does is talk about, think about, probably dream about basketball. I've never seen anything like it. He gets to play very little because we don't have a hoop at home (just bought one, but gotta' find someone to put it up, not my thing). He also has a strong desire for instruction and getting better, so I don't want to hold him back and just send him to have fun for $200 when he can go to the park and do that.

principal

[waggy]

I hear you Waggy, I've been thinking I shouldn't over think this, just let him go have fun. However, if I am going to spend the money he might as well get as much out of it as possible. All he does is talk about, think about, probably dream about basketball. I've never seen anything like it. He gets to play very little because we don't have a hoop at home (just bought one, but gotta' find someone to put it up, not my thing). He also has a strong desire for instruction and getting better, so I don't want to hold him back and just send him to have fun for $200 when he can go to the park and do that.

principal

3rd grade is what? About 9 years old? If that' the case, I'm probably off a little. I was playing pee wee baseball at about that age.

Obviously I don't have kids as a point of reference.

[LA Muskie]

Principal, for what it's worth I'd probably opt for the Chris Mack camp. Admittedly that has a lot to do with my fan allegiance. But it has even more to do with my childhood. Your son may love basketball right now, but in the end the extra week of intense instruction probably won't make much difference. Whether your son goes far in basketball will depend far more on his DNA, his talents, the quality of his regular instruction (i.e., youth coaches), and the ability to play as much as possible. On the other hand, he will probably remember the experience of a "fan camp" for the rest of his life, whether he becomes a high-achiever in basketball or not.

On this, I speak from experience. As a young kid, basketball was my favorite sport to play (still is). But I was not blessed with size, speed, quickness or any other aspect of elite athletic ability. (So I became a soccer player. Seriously. It requires far less of those.) So I eventually hit my ceiling by my junior year of high school. But I still remember going to the Syracuse basketball camp. Heck, I even remember going to my ultimate HS basketball camp (and looked up to those player/coaches then just as much as I later looked up to the 'Cuse crew...)

[kyxu]

Principal, for what it's worth I'd probably opt for the Chris Mack camp. Admittedly that has a lot to do with my fan allegiance. But it has even more to do with my childhood. Your son may love basketball right now, but in the end the extra week of intense instruction probably won't make much difference. Whether your son goes far in basketball will depend far more on his DNA, his talents, the quality of his regular instruction (i.e., youth coaches), and the ability to play as much as possible. On the other hand, he will probably remember the experience of a "fan camp" for the rest of his life, whether he becomes a high-achiever in basketball or not.

This.

3rd graders are, what? 8? 9 years old? They're not developed enough, mentally or physically, for intense basketball instruction that's going to last long or make a difference in their overall skill development. But if the kid is a fledgling Xavier fan, the memories from these types of camps will last a lot longer than any week-long instruction.

He has plenty of time for "skill development." Way less time to be a kid.

[drudy23]

I have had three kids go to Xavier camp numerous times. They all want to go again the following year. And while I agree that the week really isn't about super skill development, or intense sessions that will make them better right away, there's not really another camp that gets you that close and personal with Coach Mack and his players.

Here are the things my kids always remind me of:

1) Dad, Jalen said he loved my shoes....he said I have style
2) Dad, in my evaluation, the coaches said I really have a chance to be a great basketball player (with eyes glowing)
3) Dad, I just saw Matt Stainbrook and he said he remembered me from basketball camp (at an Elder football game when they played St Eds)
4) Dad, Redford chest-bumped me when I made a shot with 4 seconds left

When these little guys watch the big dudes play from Section 211, they're already in awe. When they interact with them that close in a setting where the players are joking around with them and really supporting them, that's really really neat for a 9-12 year old kid. They can't wait to go every year...not because of the games...but because they feel like they "know" the players, and they want to interact with them again.

[wkrq59]

These answers and interest shown are what makes these boards and this university so damn special and fun. Fathers helping fathers help their kids. Go Muskies.

[xu82]

I'm on board with LA Muskie and Drudy here. There's no camp on the planet that will make them great players. They will learn what they need to work on and how to do it in a good camp. The rest comes with hard work and time, if they're lucky. The memories will last far longer than their games!

[TUclutch]

I am trying to decide whether or not to send my going-into-third-grade son to the Chris Mack basketball camp. He loves Xavier Basketball and would be thrilled to attend, but I am more interested in his skill development than him being "wowed" by being at X. I have two questions:

1. Could someone tell me what they think of the camp strictly from a skill development/quality of instruction standpoint?
2. Were the kids generally well behaved and what kind of control does the staff have over them...are they following instruction and learning or are they acting like wild animals (if you know what I mean)?

I am not at all interested in what sort of gear he will pick up and how much he might interact with Chris and the team. Those things would a great bonus, and all things being equal would sway my decision, but my primary concern is the quality of the instruction.

If anyone could advise I would be grateful.


principal

Your kid is going into 3rd grade for crying out loud. Let him have some fun. Getting better and learning is obviously important, but the way you're talking its almost like you want him specializing in one sport with training that he should get when hes more in the 7th-8th grade range. Very few kids are going to play high competition ball in high school and even fewer in college. Drives me nuts how so many people have their kids pick a sport or even let their kid pick a single sport. Playing multiple sports at different levels of competition allows for more growth and development as an athlete. Let him have some fun and don't worry about the camp being strictly instructional. He will get some good advice at the XU camp on top of having fun being there. Save the super focus camps for 3-5 years from now.

[principal]

Your kid is going into 3rd grade for crying out loud. Let him have some fun. Getting better and learning is obviously important, but the way you're talking its almost like you want him specializing in one sport with training that he should get when hes more in the 7th-8th grade range. Very few kids are going to play high competition ball in high school and even fewer in college. Drives me nuts how so many people have their kids pick a sport or even let their kid pick a single sport. Playing multiple sports at different levels of competition allows for more growth and development as an athlete. Let him have some fun and don't worry about the camp being strictly instructional. He will get some good advice at the XU camp on top of having fun being there. Save the super focus camps for 3-5 years from now.

Either that or I wanted to know if the camp is an open gym/free-for-all or educational, and are the kids well behaved. Huge jump in reason there my friend, huge jump.

princinpal

[muskiefan82]

Huge jump in reason there my friend, huge jump.

princinpal

He did do it off of one foot, though.

[principal]

he did do it off of one foot, though.

lol

[xu82]

These answers and interest shown are what makes these boards and this university so damn special and fun. Fathers helping fathers help their kids. Go Muskies.

Q makes an excellent point here!
:-)

[Nigel Tufnel]

Principal, my son attended the Chris Mack basketball camp two summers ago between his third and fourth grade years. He loved it. I didn't send him last summer because we couldn't find another kid willing to sign up (mainly for car pool purposes). My son will be attending this summer again. We found someone for him to go with. It's not easy to find people willing to drop $225 and then have to drive 30 minutes each way to pick up and drop off. I do know this...my son has a poster sized picture of him, his second cousin (and best buddy) with Chris Mack on a knee with his arms around them on the Cintas floor. That poster will probably never come down. And now my son is as die hard an X fan as me.

Here is the thread I started back when he attended the camp, FYI.

http://www.xavierhoops.com/showthread.php?25448-My-Son-Is-LOVING-Xavier-s-Basketball-Camp&highlight=Basketball+camp