5 Steps to Prepare for Attending Basketball Camp
- Posted on March 27, 2016
Spring Break 2016 Basketball Camp can be exciting as well as intimidating for both children and parents. While your child may be excited to participate in activities like dribbling and shooting, and learning offensive and defensive skills, you might also be overwhelmed with how to prepare and what your role is. Here are five steps to help prepare your athlete for basketball camp
1. Make a list of all the questions you have concerning the camp
There’s a good chance that you have a bunch of questions such as what your child needs to pack, where pick-ups/drop-offs occur, whether or not lunch is provide and more. You may also have questions about the types of skills and fundamentals that your athlete will be learning.
Make a list in order to prepare both yourself and your child for camp. Send an email or call the camp director.
2. Take a Trip to the Grocery Store
While What it Takes Training is a day camp many parents still want to make sure their child has enough to eat. Camp is not providing food, so it's a good idea to send your child to camp with a few snacks, plus their lunch—just make sure to check with the camp beforehand to make sure this is okay!
Snacks such as dried fruit, nuts, jerky, or protein and power bars (there are kid-friendly versions of these for younger athletes). Also, consider packing some electrolyte-rich drinks!
3. Bring a Water Bottle for Basketball Camp
Sports camps like What it Takes Training create fun and energetic environments where kids participate in a number of activities, meaning they must be properly hydrated throughout the camp. This will be key to preventing cramps, keeping headaches, and maintaining optimal muscle and body function.
4. Pack All Camp items the night before
What it takes Training Camp is going to require great shoes, a change of athletic clothes or shorts. Pack all of these items in advance, so that you’re not scrambling to find them last minute, or worse, forget about packing them entirely.
Having everything packed in advance will put your mind at ease, and assure you that you’re sending your child off well-equipped. Plus it will make for a much more relaxing start to the first day of basketball camp for both you and your athlete.
It’s always best to leave valuables at home: ipod, game cards, jewelry, etc.
5. Talk with Your Child Camp Behavior
If this is your child’s first camp experience, there may be some nerves ....Talk with your child about any fears or anxieties they might have about going to camp, and answer any questions they have. In the discussion, include a chat about eating well, hydrating properly, and making friends with others or displaying good sportsmanship. Also, this talk is the perfect opportunity to discuss good behaviors, expectations, and the importance of respecting coaches and other players.
By taking these five steps to prepare your child for camp, you’ll be way ahead of the game. Don’t worry though: if you do forget or overlook something, chances are it’s happened before and the coaches at What It Takes Training will be prepared to handle it.