By Rori Bennett – Junior Reporter
A youth basketball program in Wallaceburg has continued to grow.
Lee O’Neil, a basketball coach at Wallaceburg District Secondary School, has been running a basketball camp for the past several weeks for kids ages six and seven.
The camp took place weekly, beginning in September and concluded on December 16.
“When the program began, there were only 20 participants,” O’Neil told the Sydenham Current.
“However, the numbers continue to grow. This year’s camp included 40 children.”
O’Neil said this was their second season holding the program.
“It just started with me asking a couple of parents if their kids would be interested in playing basketball, and I had a great response,” he said.
“So I said okay. This was great and we started up within a week. We had a great turnout the first year, when we had about 20 kids. This year, we advertised it again, and the Sydenham Current was really nice and put some advertisements out for us. I think we had upwards of 40 kids coming this year, so our numbers doubled, which is awesome.”
In celebration of the camps conclusion on Monday, the young players were visited by Gabe Namink, a former Wallaceburg Tartan and current player on the Lambton Lions men’s basketball team.
Also in attendance to help encourage the children to pursue their basketball dreams, and run drills with them, were James Grant, a coach for the Lions and Megan McCarter, a former Tartan and current basketball player with the Nipissing University women’s basketball team.
Katelyn Campbell, a parent whose 6-year-old son Allen participated in the camp, said the camp was a good experience for her boy.
“He participated last year in the camp, with coach Lee, and it was a really great experience,” Campbell told the Sydenham Current.
“He looked forward to coming every week, so when we heard they were going to do it again, we decided to sign him up. It teaches him basketball fundamentals, and I think it helps him get physical activity each week. I think it also just helps him socialize and come outside of himself a bit more.”
Here are some photos from the final night of the basketball camp:
