Celtics Share Their Top-Notch Skills with Local Youth

While their friends are likely lolling on a beach, basking in the sun or swimming in a pool, 50 boys and girls have decided to spend this week indoors at Salve Regina University, sweating and honing their burgeoning basketball skills.

Seven hours per day from Monday through Friday, youngsters are expanding their knowledge of the hoop sport at the Reebok Youth Basketball Camp held in the Rodgers Recreation Center on the SRU campus, under the joint sponsorship of Reebok, the Boston Celtics and BasketBall City of Boston. Boys and girls ages 8 through 17 years are attending the camp, which stresses individual development and fundamentals of basketball.

“We do more individual work with campers than other summer basketball camps,” said Alex Morin, camp director this week. “We have a very good staff and a good ratio of players to coaches. We focus on developing individual skills and reinforcing the fundaments of basketball.”

Morin’s claims were supported by campers.

“This is my third year attending this camp and I love it,” said 13-year-old Spencer Penney, a summer Newport resident who will be entering the eighth grade next month at Moses Brown School of Providence. “The coaching staff here is phenomenal and we learn how to be team players and how to improve our individual skills.”

“I love to play basketball and I learn a lot about basketball fundamentals at this camp,” said 12-year-old Alexis Ricci of Newport, who is attending for the second straight year. “Being at this camp has helped me very much and I would recommend it to my friends.”

This week’s camp features six staff members who operate individual skill stations every day; camp drills, lectures and demonstrations; team practices; team games; and skills competitions. Since it is the official basketball camp of the Boston Celtics, players attending the Salve program receive a reversible Celtics Camp jersey, Celtic give-aways and awards, and the opportunity to earn All-Star honors and to play in a game at TD Garden in Boston next winter.

“So far, everything is going well,” Morin said late Monday morning. “All the players have been organized and assigned to teams, and we’re already playing games.”

According to Morin, players are grouped according to age and ability. Teams are mixed-gender and camp sessions extend daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

During one round of camp games Monday morning, players’ skill levels varied, but most had a basic grasp of the game and were able to adequately compete against others. Several players stood out with advanced skills, but most were in the same skill range.

“It’s a lot of fun coming to this camp,” said 15-year-old Tyron Reed, a summer Newport resident making his third appearance. “The coaches are cool and coming here has made me a better all-around player.”

Monday afternoon, campers were treated to a lecture and demonstrations by Dana Barros, who played with the Celtics and several other National Basketball Association teams before retiring nine years ago. Later this week, “Lucky the Leprechaun,” the Celtics’ official mascot, will also make a guest appearance at the camp and is expected to perform a series of high-flying slam dunks to thrill campers.

Reebok Youth Basketball Camps are also held in July and August at BasketBall City in Boston and at the Celtics’ practice facility in nearby Waltham, MA.

Even though the Salve session has already started, Morin said additional campers were welcome this week.

“We didn’t sell out this week, so we still have openings,” he said.

Complete information about this week’s camp is available by contacting Morin by telephone at 617-742-6700 or by e-mail at alex@basketballcity.com.