UPCOMING CAMPS: SHOOTING CAMP (JUNE 6 & 7) FOR ALL AGES
BOYS TEAM CAMP (JUNE 11 – 14) FOR HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER VISIT WWW.COACHCRAIGNEAL.COM
Guiden is 6-years-old and it’s fair to say he has yet to grow into his full basketball frame. But although Guiden is a bit on the small side, he still has big plans for his basketball future.
“When I’m in college, I want to be a basketball player,” said Guiden. “I want to play for the Lobos because they are my favorite team.”
Guiden was in the right spot this week to start the steps toward a collegiate career. He was one of the hundreds young campers enjoying the fun and fundamentals provided by the Craig Neal Basketball Camps. The camps are being held in WisePies Arena, the Rudy Davalos Center and courts located on the Southeast corner of The Pit.
The camps stress the various fundamental aspects of basketball, but there always is a constant when kids gather to play games.
“Look at these smiles,” said ex-Lobo DeShawn Delaney. “These kids are learning about the game while they are having fun and that’s how it should be.
“I didn’t get to go to a camp growing up in Chicago as a kid, so it’s a blessing for me to see these kids out here taking advantage of something like this. I did most of my learning on the playground, but I love kids and it’s a great opportunity for me to be out here.”
There is no question that the Craig Neal Camps are a fun place to be. These camps have the perfect mixture of sounds that you look for in a basketball environment designed for kids. There are the solid instructions being voiced by qualified teachers pointing out the fundamentals and basic basketball skills. Those teachers include current Lobo players and coaches. They also include former Lobos like Delaney and Daniel Faris.
There is the laughter from the campers.
“I like shooting, and I love to work on boxing out,” said Isaiah, 7. “But I love everything about the game, so everything is fun and it’s so awesome to be out here.”
Said Guiden: “I like it when we get to shoot the ball. But I also like playing against the other kids. It’s fun.”
The campers at the Craig Neal Camps might be establishing fundamental roots of the game, but for the ex-Lobos at the camp – and even for Coach Neal and his assistants – it’s a return to their roots.
“I went to a lot of camps when I was their age,” said head coach Craig Neal. “We make sure to teach the same lessons here as we do in our program. It’s about more than learning the game of basketball. It’s about teamwork, development and having fun. Another part of that is appreciation. We make sure our campers and our program thank the parents for sending their kids to camp because that’s who makes all of this possible.”
That’s what makes basketball camp at the University of New Mexico so unique. It’s for Lobos, by Lobos and where the Lobos develop their own game.