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Brushing up on b-ball skills

Jul 10, 2011 | 4:34 PM

Kids learn to work hard, work as a team, and to show some hustle at the basketball camp, said Derek Smith co-ordinator with the Prince Albert Community Basketball Association

The Free Weekend Basketball Skills Camp wraps up today in Prince Albert, but Smith said 10 kids who showed those qualities will get to attend the association’s week-long camp for free.

This is the fifth year the association has put on a free weekend camp for nine to 18-year-olds. Smith said they put it on to get as many kids involved in basketball as possible, some of which might not be able to afford the week-long camp.

“Some of the kids at the nine to 12 age don’t get to play basketball in school, so we want to provide them an opportunity to learn some basic skills and then hopefully keep playing basketball into their older years,” Smith said.

“I just love the things that you can do with it in terms of getting better and stuff like that,” 15-year-old Patience Ishimwe said.

Ishimwe has been playing Basketball since he was in Grade 7.

He said the camp is good for teaching him how to be more precise with how he plays the game.

“I love watching the game and just those close quarters when the game is coming down to its final minutes. Moments like that are just fun for me.”

Ishimwe said the camp has made him a better player in general.

Brody Morrison, 18, was captain of the Birch Hill’s senior basketball team. He said he figured the camp was a good way to relearn the fundamentals and to prepare him as he tries out for collage next year.

The week-long camp starts on Monday at the Alfred Jenkins Field House.

sfroese@panow.com