Plains youngsters learn the ABCs of basketball

There’s no escaping basketball. It’s hoops and courts dot our American landscape from the east coast to the west, and even spill outward, past international borders and cultures. Today, basketball has become a staple within the definition of sport and a familiar athletic experience.

Yet, this past week at the Plains four-day basketball camp held in the Plains High School gymnasium, the experience was, for some, everything but familiar as students learned how to dribble, pass and shoot a ball for the first time.

Mike Cole, the camp coach, was amazed at the progress of the beginners as well as his advanced students that ranged in grades from third grade to seventh. “The improvement has been amazing in just three days of drills what was taking us an hour and a half on the first day, we’re doing in about 45 minutes,” Cole said.

He also liked the drive the kids had to participate and their dedication to learn new things. “I love the energy, the energy has been great, the kids have been working real hard and the effort is tremendous,” he said.

As Cole’s been teaching he said that the hardest part of it was simply harnessing the kids energy and focusing it into the many drills, lay ups and scrimmages. However, he added that while children are harder to focus, their youth also brings with it a willingness to be instructed.

“The best part of coaching is seeing a kid learn something,” Cole said, “It’s just like teaching, if you see a kid learn how to divide or multiply, and you see it click, the same thing’s true out here on the basketball court.”

While Cole is happy with the attendance of the 32 students in his class, he’s hoping to see more attend next year. Cole thought that the weather might have had an impact on the number of kids attending the class. “It’s been nice outside, I’m sure the whether has been our rival to get the kids in here,” Cole said.

The basketball camp is an extension of the Rural Education, Academics, Community, Healthy lifestyles Program, or REACH, the after school program for Paradise, Plains and Thompson Falls elementary schools. Marla Dykstra, the Plains REACH coordinator, said that she appreciated the basketball camp because of the opportunity it provided the kids. “It gives the kids in a small community something to do, the same kind of opportunity as kids in a larger town,” Dykstra said.

She also complemented Cole about his teaching methods and the way he inspires the kids to seek athletic achievement. “The kids respect him and so they really respond to him,” Dykstra said.

Kyle Revier, 11, said that he was a huge fan of basketball and that he also liked Cole’s teaching methods. “I like the coach because he teaches us all about the game and how to play really good defense and how to improve,” Revier said, and added that his dad, Jack Revier, the Plains Trotters high school basketball coach will help him build upon the techniques he learned at camp.

Elijah Gonzales, 12, said that for him, the camp was another way to enjoy his favorite sport. Gonzales said he loved watching basketball on TV and thought the camp helped him to become a better player. “I think camp helps me a little bit, because there are certain things I don’t know,” Gonzales said.

Jim LeClair, the principal of Paradise Elementary and Jim Holland the principal of Plains Elementary made the basketball camp and the Plains art, volleyball and football summer camps possible when they applied for the 21st Century After School Program Grant. Holland said that the grant was worth about $60,000 and would be divided between the Plains, Paradise and Thompson Falls after school programs through a five-year period.

Cole is happy about the opportunity he has to be with the kids and while he wants them to develop basketball skill he also wants them to have the best experience possible. “For this atmosphere, in the days I get to see them, I really want them to have a good experience to see what the game’s about and learn something about the game they like whether it’s shooting, passing the ball or just being with friends,” Cole said.

To accomplish this, Cole instructed his students about the importance of teamwork. “The team aspect is more important than you shooting,” Cole told his students in a moment of instruction.

He explained to them that no one should ever have to say “I’m open” to get the ball, but that his players should always be looking for passing opportunities.

Cole said that his personal goal for the camp was to introduce the basic basketball fundamentals to the students and to have fun through hard work. “At the end of the camp I want everyone to have had a positive experience, not everyone here has played basketball, but some are pretty talented,” Cole said.