Scranton Prep girls coach Bob Beviglia started his basketball camp 5 years ago. Today over 60 players from NEPA wrapped up their 4 days of training.
Bob Beviglia, Scranton Prep coach says,” You know, it’s a traditional teaching camp. So I kind of drew on the camps that I went to when I was a kid, going up to camp St. Andrew with Coach Lyons. You know, stations as much teaching as possible. But then we also want to let them compete, as you see they’re doing right now. “
To help lead the camp two of the best players ever from our area Rachel Rose and Cecelia Collins came back home to lend their knowledge to the players.
Rachel Rose, Former Scranton Prep player says, “ I was so excited when coach asked me to come back here. You know, this community has done so much for me throughout my career, both in high school and in college. So just being able to come back and be with girls from this area and try to inspire them to go to the next level is just it’s everything.
Cecelia Collins,” Former Scranton Prep player added, “It means a lot. Obviously, I was once in their shoes and looking up to my camp counselor. So, you know, I’m just trying to be a role model for them. And show, like I said, that anyone from this area, if they work hard. They can achieve the dreams that they have.”
Beviglia added, “ They bring the credibility of someone who has done everything. You know, you add to the fact that the fact that I have Lauren Carra here was also a Division one player who’s now on our staff. They have the opportunity to learn from three people who have played at the highest level.”
Rose recently wrapped up her college career after a long stop in the state of South Carolina having played for USC Upstate, Wofford and then Clemson. She will now head to nursing school.
Rose says, “ You know you set these goals for yourself as a as a little girl. And you want to get to the highest level of basketball.
And you know being able to achieve that I couldn’t have done it alone. But you know, achieving my dreams of going to the NCAA tournament and just putting Scranton on the map. Scranton girls basketball, women’s basketball is growing everywhere, but especially in our area.
Collins ended her college career at Columbia after a stop at Bucknell her Freshman year.
She is now playing professionally in Germany.
Collins says “ It was great playing at that level, you know, to represent this area at the same time just, you know, Division one is always the dream as a kid. So to accomplish that was really cool.”
Ide asks, Now professionally, explain that where you’re playing and all that.
Collins responds, “ Yeah. So I’m playing in Bochum, Germany. I just finished my first year there, and now I’m going back at the end of August, and that’s been awesome. I mean, pro basketball is also one of my goals as a kid. So now to live that dream is pretty cool.”
The rise of basketball in north eastern Pennsylvania can be attributed to camps like this, and those high schoolers that have gone on to play at top colleges, and even professionally.
Beviglia says, “ I think in our area, Bob, it’s Rachel Rose. Cecelia Collins, Ciera Toomey, Mariah Murray and Kylie Lavelle, those five kids all being players together on the local scene, all going to play division one basketball created the explosion that you see now. “