Bradwell Institute basketball coach Rhett Hellgren scanned the basketball gym as players participate in various drills during his first annual Tiger basketball camp.
The weeklong camp, held at Tiger gym, provided the coach with a glimpse of his program’s future, and he seemed pleased with the turnout of nearly 40 kids, most either current or future Tiger basketball players.
Hellgren saw between 10-12 incoming Tiger freshmen running the drills and working on form and function.
“We are able to get a good look at them,” he said about the future freshmen. “And we may ask three or four of them to come play with us during summer ball. I am really excited for our program. We are moving forward, and I anticipate good things for our program’s future.”
Hellgren said the Tigers will have junior-varsity and varsity teams hitting the summer circuit in about 10 days. They have games scheduled against Tattnall County, Glynn County and Camden County and will play in a tournament being hosted at East Georgia State University.
But this past week, the focus was on the basics.
“It is a good opportunity for these young men to come out and get some extra skill work … to many of the younger players lack proper skill,” Hellgren said. “All they seem to worry about is dribbling and shooting with the wrong technique. We are here to teach them the fundamentals … It is important that they know the fundamentals of the game.”
The coach added that some players, by the time they reach the ninth grade, have already developed certain habits that are then hard to break. Enforcing proper technique before the start of basketball season creates a solid foundation Hellgren said he can then develop throughout the season.