JETS keeps it fun

Shannon LeClair

Times Reporter

 

The 17th annual JETS Athletics basketball camp wrapped up on July 15. There were 15 kids participating in the morning group, Grades 1 to 4, and 18 registered for the afternoon group, Grades 5 to 9. 

JETS stands for Just Enjoy The Sport, and making the game fun while learning it is the main idea behind the program.

“It’s been really good and this has been an awesome camp, the kids I’ve had this week have been just tremendous,” said coach Pat Fule, and JETS organizer. 

“Basically what they do is, we cover all of the fundamentals and skills during the morning and then probably the last 45 minutes they get to play in either two-on-two games, or three-on-three games. 

“We play them in small numbers so they can touch the basketball a lot more. We feel the more they have the basketball in their hand the more likely it is they’re going to improve quickly.”

According to Fule, on the first day of camp, the kids were tired and dragged out snack time. However, by the end of the week, the kids would hurry through their snacks so they could get up and practice some more. With the basketball camps the kids got T-shirts and basketballs, and there were little treats for them on certain days.

 “We’ve had a lot of kids that have stayed with JETS and then they’ve gone on to other teams as they get older,” said Fule. 

“It’s not us that’s done it, their skills have been good enough and they’ve liked it so much that they have kept playing at higher and higher levels. It’s kind of neat that when you see one of your little stars that you’ve coached years ago has made it on to a team when they are older, it’s kind of a neat feeling.

“We like to think that we give them their first step through the door. If they like it and they are talented, they can open that door all the way and go as far as they want to go.” 

There is a volleyball camp scheduled to run August 22-26, and is set up like the basketball camp. 

In the fall, the 10-week JETS basketball will begin, running from September 12 to November 28 on Monday nights. There is also a badminton camp beginning in December. 

To find out more about any of the camps or to register contact Pat or Debbie Fule at 403-934-4599 or jetsathletics@shaw.ca.