Bulldawgs host annual basketball camp
By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press
Dozens attended the 2022 Copperas Cove Bulldawgs Basketball Camp this week at the Copperas Cove High School gymnasium.
The free camp, under the coaching of Head Boys Basketball Coach Travis Boyce, was open to grades 1st through sixth and focused on fundamental basketball skills such as dribbling, shooting, passing, footwork, defense and offense. The camp ran from Tuesday, June 28, through Thursday, June 30.
Travis Boyce has been with Copperas Cove ISD for 15 years and said that this camp used to be open for grades first through junior high, but he made the decision to change that to first through sixth grade this year, due to grades seventh and eighth coming to strength and conditioning four days a week.
“I kind of wanted to focus a little bit more on the younger ones since we get to see junior high kids a lot,” Boyce said. “This is our first year doing it with just being first to sixth grade, and I think it’s been really awesome for the high school coaches to be able to be more hands on with the younger group and kind of try to progress our future because these little guys will be our future [Bulldawgs] here pretty soon.”
The camp covered drills that pertained to the different skill levels and ages, he said.
“A lot of times I will be doing some of the high school drills that we do in high school, and I kind of cater it down to the younger ones as well, so that way by the time they get to the high school, it’s ‘Oh, I remember that drill, Coach Boyce,’” Boyce said. “I’ve had plenty of kids that started off kindergarten and moved on and graduated and gone to college, so it’s definitely an awesome experience to be able to come in and coach and teach the little ones and see them grow into young men someday.”
The players were divided into three age groups during the camp: first and second graders, third and fourth graders and fifth and sixth graders.
Each group spent time at each station, getting 10 minutes of passing instruction/practice, 10 minutes of dribbling instruction/practice and then time doing one drill that puts these skills together, before they get to play different games, such as Knockout.
“I’ve been coaching and teaching here for 14, 15 years, but I also was a student here,” Boyce said. “I grew up here in Cove. I’ve been here since fifth grade. I’ve walked through a lot of these same halls that a lot of these kids walked through starting at the intermediate level, starting at fifth and sixth grade at Lovett L edger. So, it’s for me to be able to have gone and got my degree and come back and now be able to teach a lot of kids that were the same age that I was at one point in time, going through these same hallways.”
Rebecca Stoodley had brought her son, Zachary, to the camp Wednesday. Zachary, 9, will be heading to fourth grade in the fall. He currently a point guard is on an AAU team and has also played basketball with Parks and Recreation before, she said.
“He really enjoys basketball, and so this was perfect,” Stoodley said. “This environment is fabulous for them. It’s a little break from practice, if that makes sense. Practice is more so a lot of drills and just…like constant drills and how we’re going to play the game. This is more fun. This is relaxing. This is them engaging with other kids that may not play basketball.”
She added that Zachary was really excited and wanted to come to this camp, so she was happy the school district offered it.
“This is our first year actually doing a summer camp, this basketball camp. I didn’t know about this, and I’ve lived here for years,” Stoodley said. “I think it’s a great turnout, and they look like all of the age groups are having so much fun, so I would definitely do it again. He would love to come and do this again.”
Ashley Whitworth brought her son, Connor, 9, to the camp. Connor plays on the AAU team, the Crusaders, so this camp served as extra practice for him, according to Whitworth.
“We think it’s a really great opportunity,” Whitworth said. “It’s just building on the skills that he has. He’s tried his hand at a few other sports, and it just hasn’t really been a good fit for him, but this one has just really taken off.”
Connor added that it also helps him develop his muscles. He said he’s been learning more about passing and ball handling during the camp. On his own team, he plays as a Power Forward, Short Forward or Shooting Guard, he said.
His teammate, Tatum Boyd, also attended the camp. Tatum,6, will be going into first grade. Boyd said she had learned more about dribbling between her legs and passing the ball during this camp.
Also in attendance was Addison Payne, 8. Payne said she loved basketball because it made her happy.
“I get to work out my arms, my legs, and practicing just makes me stronger,” Payne said. “I love the fact that I can hang out with my friends and stuff during the time.”