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Summer is in full swing with some area youth heading to the beach this summer to chill out or just take things easy, but any young athlete willing to give up a little beach time, video game or television viewing time this summer will have a chance to develop a number of important basketball skills.

Open to boys and girls ages 9-14, the annual Manteo Baptist Church Summer Basketball Camp is currently accepting applications for this year’s event running July 11-15 from 8:30 a.m. until noon each day.

Considered by many as an ideal place to promote basketball, the Manteo Baptist Church gym and basketball court is located behind the church building at the intersection of 406 U.S. Highway 64 and Ananias Dare Street in Manteo.

Promoted as the perfect place for both novice and seasoned players to learn new skills and hone some of the old ones, former Manteo High School boys varsity basketball coach Bud Hendrix is the camp’s founding organizer and director.

In years past, as many as three dozen boys and girls have attended a week-long summer camp and with this year’s camp dates almost upon us, Hendrix said he is excited about hosting the 11th year of camp.

Hendrix said one change from past years will be splitting age groups into two separate sessions. Ages 9-10-11 will attend the early session from 8:30 until 10:30 a.m. and ages 12-13-14 participation will be from 10 a.m. until noon each day.

Almost any athlete will tell you that the pathway to success requires first mastering a series of basic skills. Operating on the basic theme that with God all things are possible, Hendrix takes things one step further when he says you can love the game and love yourself.

Keeping the main thing the main thing, Hendrix challenges each athlete to participate in an activity that will teach how to make a positive impact on the court, and in the world, while at the same time having plenty of fun.

He explained that athletes will spend most of their time learning about shooting form, defensive footwork, offensive moves and team play, all within a fun environment. There will also be testimonials daily from camp leaders.

As always, the team of coaches Hendrix assembled have considerable skill and experience to be able to provide each participant with an understanding of basketball fundamentals.

Among them are Manteo High School boys basketball coaches Tim Charity and Brad Creef, Manteo Middle School coach DuWayne Gibbs, along with former Manteo player and First Flight JV basketball coach Chris Mascio.

Also on hand will be Camden County High School basketball coach Mark Hornly and Northside coach Jared Adams.

According to Hendrix, while all the basics are covered on the court like rebounding and teamwork for both offense and defense, there is more to the camp than basic basketball skills.

“We do cover the whole spectrum of the game but it’s not just about basketball,” explained Hendrix. “Along with dribbling, passing and shooting we will have a devotion every day.”

To meet that end Hendrix often invites people from the church to speak to campers and may have a video devotion with NBA players giving their testimonies.

“I think our kids enjoy that as much as anything,” Hendrix added.

According to Hendrix, there is a $20 per camper registration fee, which is just enough to cover the cost of training materials, T-shirts, awards and a week’s end celebration.

“Nobody’s making any money here,” explained Hendrix. “I recruited my coaches telling them that there was no pay but we’re still trying to make it as nice a camp as we can.”

Hendrix then added that there are scholarships available to help cover the registration fee.

Registration forms available at Manteo Baptist Church office. For more information about this basketball camp or other Manteo Baptist Church programs, call the church office at 252-473-2840.

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