Staley just finished up 6 weeks of basketball camp. For an hour once/week, Staley learned to dribble, pass, shoot, and play defense. They would work on drills to learn all these new skills. For the last 3 weeks of camp, they also incorporated about 15-20 minutes of scrimmaging each time. Staley loved it!!
I played basketball all through high school, so I'm glad that she loved her introduction to the sport. I don't know that her love for basketball camp correlated to her skills at basketball camp. It's safe to say that basketball did not come naturally to Staley. She got down the basics of dribbling and passing and shooting, but putting it all together into a coordinated effort was a struggle. They had lowered the baskets for the girls, and Staley still never managed to make a basket, even during drills. A few times she hit the rim, which was the closest she came to success. However, she didn't seem phased by that and was always enthusiastic about going.
When they scrimmaged, Staley did start to get a little more aggressive. She would put her hands up, and one time she even stole the ball from another girl who was dribbling. She still was a little timid when someone would pass the ball to her, but she was at least getting involved in the action.
Even though it didn't come easily to Staley, I love that she was an enthusiastic participant in basketball camp. She was always smiling and skipping around and ready to try anything her coaches asked her to do. Even when she was struggling, she never gave up. Her skills might not have been up to par, but her attitude was top notch.
It also helped that Staley had some friends at basketball camp that she enjoyed spending extra time with outside of school.
Staley has already asked if she can play basketball again next year. That gives us a whole year to practice up and maybe next year she'll make a basket. But whether or not she does, I'm sure she'll be smiling about it either way.
