money Pair of upcoming camps at GNB Voc-Tech creating a buzz for basketball on the SouthCoast
There’s a buzz on the basketball courts this summer at GNB Voc-Tech with the return of a pair of camps.
For the first time since 2019, the Greater New Bedford Girls Basketball Camp will take place the week of July 18-21. The camp, which is run by GNB Voc-Tech girls basketball coach Mike Prior, is for boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 16.
“It’s getting the kids back into the game,” said Prior. “A lot of our incoming freshmen are coming. This is getting them back on the court and doing something in the summer.”
The camp is open to all Southcoast players. Anyone interested can register the day of. It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and costs $125 per camper and includes a t-shirt.
“We’re having a lot of former players coming and they’re going to be helping out along with current players,” Prior said.
The following week — July 25-29 — the Greater New Bedford Hoop Academy will take place at the Z. Walter Janiak Field House.
Second-year GNB Voc-Tech boys basketball coach Rob Delaleu is hoping the camp ignites a passion for the sport on the SouthCoast.
“I want to help build the SouthCoast up again,” he said. “Back in the day they had the Greater New Bedford camps, but we haven’t run a camp in at least four years so I wanted to reignite some more energy. I’m trying to build a Greater New Bedford that is excited about basketball.
“There really is not a lot (of camps) for older kids. I wanted to build something that New Bedford Voke is doing.”
The camp is for boys and girls ages 8 through 18 and will focus on team concepts in addition to individual skills.
“We wanted to focus on team concepts; how to be a part of the team, how to play team offense and how to understand the game of basketball and incorporate leadership,” he said. “We’re going to run individual drills but a lot of it will be team based. The lectures will tie into our team time in the afternoon and they’ll be doing what’s taught in lectures in these games.
“We have several local coaches and Div. 1 players that will be part of the week so that will be great.”
The camp will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. Delaleu is asking that attendees register by July 22. The cost for the five-day camp is $145 and includes a t-shirt. There will be an awards ceremony at 2 p.m. on Friday.
Delaleu said that there are private donors sponsoring kids that need financial assistance in attending the camp.
“Sometimes when there’s a basketball camp, the kids that get to go are the ones where the parents have money,” he said. “We’re trying to build it where kids can come — no matter the circumstance.”
Delaleu also said that the camp is for all levels of experience.
“We want to accept all kids,” he said. “This is a safe space where we want the kids to grow and build self confidence.”
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: GNB Voc-Tech will host a pair of basketball camps in July
