Schools may be out for summer, but until recently the BCHS gyms were as noisy as ever.
The competition and concentration were intense, the energy and ambition high … and the fun levels soared.
It could only mean one thing: Barrhead Composite High School again played host to the Hoopnics basketball camp, which has become a summer fixture for students hoping to sharpen their skills and, perhaps, take away deeper and more meaningful life lessons.
About 85 students took advantage of the July 2-6 camp run by Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) Wolves’ head coach Chris Nicol and a small army of helpers, including son Josh, GPRC alumnus Austin Mueller and Deanna Konno, starting point on the women’s basketball team. Rob Brotherton, Samy Seifeddine and Dean Fagnan, among others, have also helped out.
The camp offered instruction for three levels: Junior, Grades 4-6; Intermediate, Grades 7-9; and Senior, Grades 10-12. It focused on the fundamentals of footwork, ball handling, passing, shooting, individual offence, defence, team offence, defence, and team work.
So what did students think of the weeklong experience?
Senior Gryphon Krysta Schaffrick has been going to camp for several years. In fact, it introduced her to basketball.
She loves the camp, highlighting the emphasis on teamwork and having fun.
Just as important, says Krysta, are the life skills that coach Nicol and his team pass on to players.
Each day players are given an inspirational quote – carpe diem (seize the day), for instance – whose message spreads beyond the sporting arena.
“They help to give me confidence,” says Krysta.
Bonnie Vandermeulen, a point guard like Krysta, says her basketball has improved a lot in the camp.
She has learned to move differently, to be stable, and to shoot with far greater accuracy.
“It also teaches you endurance,” she says. “We do a lot of running. It’s fun, but it’s hard work.”
Grade 10 student Shantel Degen was experiencing her second Hoopnics camp.
She has seen all-round improvement in her play. The camp’s focus on shooting has paid dividends; she has learned the importance of bending her knees.
Like the others, Shantel also reports a boost to her confidence, a key ingredient in life, let alone sport.
As for the coaches, they too have found Hoopnics a rewarding experience.
Rob Brotherton, a first-time coach, has been going to camp since he was 14 or 15. He says it showed him the joys of sport.
“I was not the greatest basketball player,” he says. “I was not really a big sports guy before I came to one of the camps.”
One of the great things about Hoopnics was that everyone comes under focus. Rob learned about teamwork and discovered the fun of basketball.
“It also taught me about making an effort,” he says. “Good quality comes from good effort.”
Josh Nicol exemplifies the camp values exhibited by his dad; it has helped him achieve top academic/athletic honours as an Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference athlete and become MVP of GPRC’s Wolves this season. A point guard, he has been team captain.
“As a coach we put a lot of focus on life skills and morals,” he says.
Studying physical education and kinesiology, Josh seems headed for a physiotherapy career, which will keep him involved in sport.
It is also likely he will continue coaching Hoopnics camps, one day taking over from dad.
There has been talk in past years about Chris Nicol retiring, but the success of Hoopnics seems to keep delaying that decision.
Nicol, who started Hoopnics about 10 years ago and was a teacher and basketball coach in Pembina Hills division for 18 years, most recently at Westlock’s R.F. Staples, has entered his 31st year of coaching.
He has coached at the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) level for 14 years – three at Concordia and 11 at GPRC – and won the ACAC Coach of the Year award.
Working with kids, he says, gives him energy. He finds it constantly rewarding to see the progress they make during the camps.
Nicol lists five Hoopnics focal points: enjoyment; coachability; teamwork; encouraging children to be thankful to parents; and basketball skills.
“I do see a big difference in the kids from day one to day five,” he says. “There are huge changes after 20 hours of basketball.”
Nicol says this year’s camp even had an international flavour since two of the students came from Italy.
“I would like to thank all the people who helped us out this year,” he adds. “We received a ton of help.”
Lorna Hiemstra, Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) assessment for learning coach, says Barrhead is fortunate to attract coaches of such quality.
“What really sets coach Nicol and Hoopnics apart from an average program is his enthusiasm and dedication to developing skill and good citizenship,” said Hiemstra. “He is well known as an excellent basketball technician.”
