Martin looking to build relationships through basketball camps
Winter is more than a few months away, but Wooster boys basketball coach Craig Martin is wasting no time getting a jump on the season.
Wooster will host a pair of boys basketball camps during the first half of June, one focusing on community youth and the second for middle schoolers. The Wooster Youth Basketball Camp will be held June 4-7, running from 1-3:30 p.m. daily at the WHS main gym and is open to all Wooster or Wayne County boys entering grade three through grade six for the 2012-13 school year. The middle-school camp will be held the following week, June 11-15, and run from 1-4 p.m. and is open for boys entering grades seven and eight.
The camps will be run under the direction of Craig Martin, boys head varsity coach at Wooster and the camp director for both. With the varsity season behind them, this is an opportunity to get back into the game and get a look at what the future may hold.
“Summer is a rejuvenation from that standpoint,” said Martin. “We have our high school activities going on with the shootouts we go to, the shootout we have here and our team event. It’s an opportunity to work with the community youth in our youth camp and the middle school camp.
“The summer, especially the month of June, is a heavy time as far as camps. We do all of our high school stuff in June. Those athletes we do have in fall sports are concentrating on football and soccer, but this is a nice time to concentrate on basketball. We can get into the gym and work on things we need to prepare for next year and it’s an opportunity to compete against other teams in shootouts and team camps.”
It’s also an important time for evaluation, especially depending on the experience of the team expected to be on the floor in a few short months, noted Martin.
“It’s different year to year,” said Martin. “Some years you graduate a lot of seniors. You’re not necessarily rebuilding, but there is still a lot of learning. This year we only lose two seniors and the bulk of the team is back, so we have a good idea of who we are and our identity. We’re going to use this time to fine-tune things and use it as a running start for the season.”
Even though the June camps won’t involve high school players, Martin is equally enthused about the camps.
“I love our youth camp and middle school camps,” said Martin. “One focus is to teach skills and fundamentals, but a big part for me is the relationships we build. We open … (both) camps to Wooster City school kids, but we welcome other kids in the county. With the majority of our kids from Wooster, it’s a great opportunity to build rapport and relationships. When I see them at games, I can say, ‘Hi,’ I know who they are and I see them in the community.
“I can say, ‘Hey Billy, how are you doing?’ I can call them by their name and build a relationship through youth to middle school to high school.”
Cost for the youth camp is $40 and the middle school camp is $50. Financial assistance is available for those that qualify. Registration forms are available online at http://www.woostercityschools.org/hs/hs-athletics or by contacting the Wooster High athletic office. For more information or questions, contact Martin via email at wstr_cmartin@woostercityschools.org or by calling 330-345-4000, ext. 3162.
Wooster will host a pair of boys basketball camps during the first half of June, one focusing on community youth and the second for middle schoolers. The Wooster Youth Basketball Camp will be held June 4-7, running from 1-3:30 p.m. daily at the WHS main gym and is open to all Wooster or Wayne County boys entering grade three through grade six for the 2012-13 school year. The middle-school camp will be held the following week, June 11-15, and run from 1-4 p.m. and is open for boys entering grades seven and eight.
The camps will be run under the direction of Craig Martin, boys head varsity coach at Wooster and the camp director for both. With the varsity season behind them, this is an opportunity to get back into the game and get a look at what the future may hold.
“Summer is a rejuvenation from that standpoint,” said Martin. “We have our high school activities going on with the shootouts we go to, the shootout we have here and our team event. It’s an opportunity to work with the community youth in our youth camp and the middle school camp.
“The summer, especially the month of June, is a heavy time as far as camps. We do all of our high school stuff in June. Those athletes we do have in fall sports are concentrating on football and soccer, but this is a nice time to concentrate on basketball. We can get into the gym and work on things we need to prepare for next year and it’s an opportunity to compete against other teams in shootouts and team camps.”
It’s also an important time for evaluation, especially depending on the experience of the team expected to be on the floor in a few short months, noted Martin.
“It’s different year to year,” said Martin. “Some years you graduate a lot of seniors. You’re not necessarily rebuilding, but there is still a lot of learning. This year we only lose two seniors and the bulk of the team is back, so we have a good idea of who we are and our identity. We’re going to use this time to fine-tune things and use it as a running start for the season.”
Even though the June camps won’t involve high school players, Martin is equally enthused about the camps.
“I love our youth camp and middle school camps,” said Martin. “One focus is to teach skills and fundamentals, but a big part for me is the relationships we build. We open … (both) camps to Wooster City school kids, but we welcome other kids in the county. With the majority of our kids from Wooster, it’s a great opportunity to build rapport and relationships. When I see them at games, I can say, ‘Hi,’ I know who they are and I see them in the community.
“I can say, ‘Hey Billy, how are you doing?’ I can call them by their name and build a relationship through youth to middle school to high school.”
Cost for the youth camp is $40 and the middle school camp is $50. Financial assistance is available for those that qualify. Registration forms are available online at http://www.woostercityschools.org/hs/hs-athletics or by contacting the Wooster High athletic office. For more information or questions, contact Martin via email at wstr_cmartin@woostercityschools.org or by calling 330-345-4000, ext. 3162.
Published: May 23, 2012
