Basketball being featured at sports and craft camp

Nikki Jamieson
Vauxhall Advance
njamieson@tabertimes.com

For the first time since the history of the Sports/Craft Camp in Vauxhall, basketball is being highlighted.

For the past five years, the sports section of the camp was all about soccer. When the former soccer coach left, Carl Garber, Vauxhall High Queens basketball assistant coach and pastor at the Vauxhall Mennonite Brethren, where the camp is being held, volunteered to teach the kids basketball.

“I was willing to take on the sports part, because basketball is my main sport, and I love coaching it,” said Garber.

“I thought, hey, might as well expand things a bit for me and try my hand at coaching grades three to six.”

The basketball portion of the camp will be focusing on teaching the basics of the sport — fundamental rules, proper shooting form, dribbling, passing and defence — along with various games to improve their skill levels.

“They should expect to become better basketball players, and have a lot of fun just learning the game,” said Garber.

For the first hour of the camp, participants have the option of either playing basketball or another game, if they are in grade two or under, or doing various crafts, such as creating a tiny hot air balloon.

“The theme this years is ‘Up, Up and Away”, which is hot air balloons, so we re doing crafts that are themed around that,” said Stephanie Pepneck, craft co-ordinator for the camp.

“There is also crafts themed for older kids and younger kids, just with different abilities.”

After the first half of the camp, a snack will be provided, followed by some Bible stories.

“First of all, a lot of fun,” said Joann Pepneck, co-organizer of the camp, of what the kids can expect from the camp.

“If they’re in the basketball camp, to gain a few skills, building friendship and relationships. Gaining some knowledge about the Bible or about who God is.”

The Sports/Craft Camp is going July 18-22, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Vauxhall Mennonite Brethren Church.

The camp is for children ages 5-12, and although it is free to attend, organizers do ask that parents register their kids for the evening when they drop them off, and for children to wear appropriate attire for basketball.

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