Campers compete during a box-out drill at a Breakthrough Basketball camp on Thursday, July 16, at Reed City High School.
Austin Chastain/Pioneer Photo
Campers play 1-on-1 during a Breakthrough Basketball camp on Thursday, July 16, at Reed City High School.
Austin Chastain/Pioneer Photo
A camper shoots the ball during a Breakthrough Basketball camp on Thursday, July 16, at Reed City High School.
Austin Chastain/Pioneer Photo
Reed City basketball coach Brennan Walsh works with a camper during a Breakthrough Basketball camp on Thursday, July 16, at Reed City High School.
Austin Chastain/Pioneer Photo
Coach Nick Neal boxes out against Reed City junior Asher Ducham during a Breakthrough Basketball camp on Thursday, July 16, at Reed City High School.
Austin Chastain/Pioneer Photo
Campers compete during a box-out drill at a Breakthrough Basketball camp on Thursday, July 16, at Reed City High School.
Austin Chastain/Pioneer Photo
Campers compete during a box-out drill at a Breakthrough Basketball camp on Thursday, July 16, at Reed City High School.
Austin Chastain/Pioneer Photo
Campers work on group drills during a Breakthrough Basketball camp on Thursday, July 16, at Reed City High School.
Austin Chastain/Pioneer Photo
Campers work on footwork and shooting form drills during a Breakthrough Basketball camp on Thursday, July 16, at Reed City High School.
Austin Chastain/Pioneer Photo
Campers work on a dribbling and footwork drill a Breakthrough Basketball camp on Thursday, July 16, at Reed City High School.
Austin Chastain/Pioneer Photo
REED CITY — Campers got a little bit of everything this week at basketball camp.
Over the three-day camp at Reed City High School, campers managed 95-degree heat, high humidity and poor air quality from Canadian wildfire smoke to get better at basketball.
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They also got an opportunity to learn from a professional basketball player, Nick Neal.
Neal, a Detroit native and standout player from Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Purdue Northwest, has played 11 seasons of professional basketball in Europe, most recently in Lithuania.
“He really doesn’t go easy on them,” Reed City boys basketball coach Brennan Walsh said. “He makes them work. They’re definitely being pushed, but they seem to be enjoying it.”
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The camp ran from 9-3 p.m. each day, giving players extensive time to develop their skills. Despite the tough conditions during the week, Neal said the players continued working without many complaints.
“The kids really gave their all,” Neal said. “That’s really all you can ask for in 97-, 98-degree weather. … Just to see them going through it and giving it their all inspired me.”
During his summers at home, Neal travels throughout Michigan and surrounding states as an instructor. His schedule has taken him as far north as Traverse City and into Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Neal said teaching young players allows him to provide the same kind of guidance he received while growing up.
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“When I was younger, I had somebody teach me,” Neal said. “I told myself when I got older, I wanted to help give back to the youth like I was taught. I feel like God gave me a gift, and I just want to share it with others.”
That process can produce visible results over only a few days. Neal said some campers arrived unable to dribble confidently but showed noticeable improvement by the end of the camp.
“That’s been a pleasure,” he said.
This was the fourth time Reed City has hosted the camp, with a different instructor leading it each year. Walsh said the rotating group of professional players, trainers and college coaches gives campers exposure to different teaching styles while allowing him to learn drills he can incorporate into his own program.
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The training emphasized skills applicable to every position. Walsh said modern basketball requires guards, forwards and centers alike to be comfortable handling the ball.
“Even if you’re a big kid, at a younger age, you never know how much they’re going to grow,” Walsh said. “You don’t see many people that are just in the post anyway. To have confidence in the game, you’ve got to be able to handle the ball.”
Walsh added there are some financial aspects of the camp. Reed City takes a percentage that goes back into the program, but giving Northern Michigan kids an opportunity to have a multi-day camp is a driving force behind why Reed City continues to host the camp, Walsh said.
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“There are some kids that have been here for three years in a row,” Walsh said. “You get to know them a bit them a little bit. … It’s kids from all over, not just the Reed City kids. It’s great to have the you know kids in our program putting the extra time and effort into it, but this camp is as is much about us raising money and and helping develop Northern Michigan kids as it is just helping Reed City kids.”