The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Stingers Youth Basketball Association will collaborate once again with an elite training programme out of the United States as it prepares to host another edition of its summer basketball camp series.

Tony Hobbs, head basketball instructor at Bridge Basketball Academy, will serve as a guest instructor in the 11th edition of the camp, to be hosted June 25 to July 13 at the DW Davis Gymnasium.

"We want to make sure everyone comes out and has a good time. This will be our second year going down there, we're super excited, can't wait to get down there and work with the kids," Hobbs said. "We want everyone to come out and let's get better together."

Located in Duncanville, Texas, Bridge Basketball Academy considers itself a "basketball specific player-development company founded in 2012 to serve the needs of individual basketball players by providing them access to great player development."

During his first visit, Hobbs said he seeks to bring those same principles to the Stingers organisation.

"I started with two kids in the programme and we grew to 1,400 kids in a matter of four years by teaching basketball the right way.

"We focus on five core principles - ball control, shot mechanics, quickness and agility, game intelligence and body balance," Hobbs said.

"Each one is a building block to the next stage. We bring a complete structure. Every day we will go through a curriculum and it's a step-by-step process so we can really see what these kids have."

He added that the speciality of Bridge Basketball is taking players from their current level of play and advancing them to the next level. Bridge trainees represent every advanced level of basketball NBA, overseas, Division I collegiate basketball Division II collegiate basketball, Division III collegiate basketball, Nike EYBL, Adidas grassroot along with other top tournaments around the nation as well as recreational play.

Over 30 local AAU clubs have players that specifically develop their technical skills at Bridge Basketball Skills Academy.

The Stingers programme is led by director Stephen Strachan and he is assisted by Jerome Lucas.

The camp will again expect to facilitate dozens of boys and girls aged six to 18, 9am to 1pm Mondays to Fridays. "In the last few years, the growth has been fantastic. I was pleasantly surprised on day one. We are becoming a household name and the brand is building. Parents and kids are recognising it," Strachan said at last year's camp.

Strachan said that with an experienced staff of coaches and trainers, the coach-to-student ratio is one of the major benefits of the camp.

"The numbers are always manageable, our camper per instructor ratio works well. Here you will get a lot of reps, you will learn the skills and fundamentals of basketball and you will become a better player," he said.