By Otesa Miles

The first day of Shaka Smart Basketball Camps is full of excitement as campers meet their coaches and new teammates. Parents, we’d like to share with you a few things to keep in mind, which will hopefully answer your questions about our summer basketball camp.

Registration:

To kickoff camp, camp staff will be at the Stuart C. Siegel Center at VCU starting at 8 a.m. Monday of each session for registration, which runs until 9 a.m. We will register campers on the concourse of the Siegel Center. Camp staff will be at one of the two Siegel Center entrances. If you enter and don’t see registration, you’ll be directed to the correct location.

Address and directions:

Camp is held at the Stuart C. Siegel Center at Virginia Commonwealth University

1200 West Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23284

If traveling on I-95 South/I-64 East (I-95 and I-64 merge)

Take exit #76B for Belvidere Street. Turn left off exit ramp on to Leigh Street. Go to 1st traffic light, turn right onto Belvidere Street. At the 3rd traffic light, turn right onto Broad Street. TheSiegel Center is on the right after the third traffic light.

If traveling on I-95 North/I-64 West

Take exit #76A Chamberlayne and get in the left lane on exit ramp. Turn left at the traffic light. After crossing the bridge, bear right onto St. Peter’s Street. At the stop sign, turn right onto Leigh Street. Turn left at the first traffic light onto Belvidere Street. At the 3rd traffic light, turn right onto Broad Street. The Siegel Center is on the right after the third traffic light.

Parking:

Most parents drop off their young hoopsters and therefore only need to park for a short period of time. If you’re looking for Drop off & Pick up Parking here are some options:

1. Parking for drop off and pick up is available in the “NN Lot”, 500 N Harrison Street (across from the Siegel Center) during the hours of 8:30-9:30 a.m. and 4:30-5:30 p.m. All others times are subject to ticketing.

2. Parking may also be found at the meters on Broad Street and on the area streets surrounding the Siegel Center.

If you plan to stay at the Siegel Center all day, daily parking may be found on the Marshall Street side of the Siegel Center and in the West Broad Street or Bowe Street decks for the cost of $5 each time you exit. The “UU Lot” (between the Siegel Center and Sports Medicine Building) is reserved for paid parking subscribers/employees. All others are subject to ticketing. This link will show a map of VCU campus parking decks. Click the large letter “P” on the map’s legend.

Lunch:

Lunch is included daily in the cost of camp. Locally-bottled Virginia Artesian Water will be served with lunch each day. If your child has a serious food allergy or health-related diet restrictions, you may prefer to send your child’s lunch.

Water & other drinks:

There are water fountains in the gym and the camp store sells sports drinks, so campers don’t need to bring their own drinks.

Camp & money:

We urge campers to use the Camp Bank, a free service sponsored by Shockoe Mobile Application Development. Cash can be deposited to the camper’s account, which will allow campers and parents to budget and monitor spending. Parents can also place restrictions on what snacks campers can purchase. This eliminates the need for kids to carry cash, which can easily be lost while running up and down the court during summer basketball camp. All remaining money is refunded the last day of camp. The camp store sells snacks, drinks and apparel.

Camper medication:

If your camper needs medication, this should be indicated on the camp registration form. Also, verbally alert your child’s camp counselor during registration. The medication should be given to the camp trainer, Eddie Benion, who is also VCU’s assistant athletic director for sports medicine. The medication should be in its original packaging and labeled with your child’s name and directions for use.

Camp hours:

Each day camp hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Family & Friends Friday:

Also, be sure to stop by during the camp award’s ceremony and sponsor fair, which kick off during the last hour of the last day of each camp session. Here’s more info on Family & Friends Friday.

By Otesa Miles

You’ve probably heard the saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The National Athletic Trainers Association has the same philosophy when it comes to keeping youth safe while playing sports. On May 15, 2013, the group released its tips to “keep athletes safe in the game.”

At Shaka Smart Basketball Camps, it is also our goal to ensure that our participants are safe, have fun and play lots of basketball. As the premiere Richmond basketball summer camp, we take pride in enforcing safety rules and encourage parents to share these tips from the NATA with their young ball players:

1. Ensure that players are mentally and physically ready to play. Physically, this means their bodies need to be able to withstand the consistent activity. Mentally, this means that the student wants to play. Also if a player is returning from injury, be sure not to rush them back and that they are comfortable playing again.
2. Have a doctor’s exam prior to playing. Most school teams require the “pre-participation exam.” This ensures that young players are physically able to play or the exam will uncover conditions that may limit participation.
3. Find out who is the correct person to notify in case of an injury and ask about their credentials. At Shaka Smart Basketball Camps, campers should tell their coaches immediately if they are injured or feel ill. Coaches will then inform Eddie Benion, VCU’s assistant athletic director for sports medicine who is a certified athletic trainer by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and has his bachelor’s degree in nutrition and physical fitness. Benion came to VCU in 2010 after six years as head athletic trainer for Cleveland State University. He also worked as head trainer for Alabama A&M and East Lansing High School in Michigan. He was a graduate assistant on the training staff at Michigan State and interned with the National Football League’s New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs.
4. If sports will be played outside in the heat, allow players a two-week period to gradually adjust to the warm weather. This will slowly increase the athletes’ ability to play in the heat. Fortunately, at Shaka Smart Basketball Camps all activities will take place inside of the comfortably air-conditioned Verizon Wireless Arena at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.
5. Encourage players to alert someone immediately if they have any of symptoms of a head injury, including dizziness, loss of memory and fatigue.
6. The NATA also recommends that sudden cardiac arrest should be suspected in any athlete who collapses and doesn’t respond. They should be treated with a defibrillator within three to five minutes. In the Stuart C. Siegel Center, there are multiple defibrillators, also known as automated External Defibrillators, or AEDs.
7. Parents have the responsibility of sharing the athlete’s medical history, providing their emergency contact information along with granting permission for emergency medical care in the event it is necessary.
8. Regularly check sports and medical equipment to ensure that it remains in safe, working order. At Shaka Smart Basketball Camps, the young players practice and play their games on the same court as the VCU Rams. The floors and all equipment are regularly inspected and repairs and replacements are made as needed.

This is the first half of the safety tips. The NATA made eight more recommendations to keep youth athletes safe, which we will share in our next post.

By Otesa Miles

There are countless summer sports camps in Richmond.  At Shaka Smart Basketball Camps, the staff makes all the difference.

It all starts with VCU Head Basketball Coach Shaka Smart. “The goal is to have fun,” Coach Smart said about the camp’s design. “We hope our participants enjoy their time with us while developing a strong grasp of basketball fundamentals. Summer camp shouldn’t be drudgery. It should be full of games, friends and learning. The skills they learn now can be applied in organized sports and in life in general.”

To infuse fun into dribbling drills and the layup line, campers compete for bragging rights and often battle against their coaches, who develop creative ways to explain proper form, ball handling and footwork to rookies and veteran players alike.

“The camp staff is top-notch,” said Coach Smart. “Our VCU Basketball family works for months to ensure that we’re able to provide a stellar, enjoyable learning experience. As a father, I take it very seriously when parents trust us with their children.”

The camp staff consists of assistant VCU basketball coaches along with current and former VCU players, graduate assistants from VCU’s Sports Leadership Program and area youth coaches who each work with small groups of campers to build skills.

By Otesa Miles

Last summer, Chad Cleaton’s son enjoyed his week at Shaka Smart Basketball Camps. So, even though it means Cleaton will drive 75 minutes each way, he’s sending his son C.J. again this summer.

“He enjoyed meeting new kids who played on his level or above his level. That helped him get better,” said Cleaton, who will bring C.J. from Lawrenceville, Va. daily so his son can attend the Richmond-based basketball camp.

During this school year, C.J. played on an AAU baseball team as well as with recreational league basketball and baseball teams. All of his teams won championships.

In basketball, C.J. plays either the 1 or 2 position, the point guard or shooting guard. This past season, C.J.’s father noticed that he is more well-rounded as a player.

“His ball handling is better, he takes better shots and he’s more of a team player rather than trying to do it all by himself,” Cleaton said.

Cleaton said C.J., a rising 6th grader, made it clear he wanted to come back to camp this summer. “He talked about the bigger kids and how he can’t wait to get on that level so that he can play on the big court.” His father appreciated that the younger camp participants played together, so they could become comfortable with the game, while the older players did their drills and played their games in a different gymnasium.

C.J. not only excels in sports, his father said he consistently brings home grades of A’s and B’s.

Cleaton, who used his time off to stay at the Siegel Center during camp, said he was impressed with the camp’s organization and activities. “I like that they taught them different things and that they scheduled different games. If one team wins, they stay on that court and play. The losing teams goes to another court to play another team.” He enjoyed seeing the coaches instruct and then have the campers execute. “Towards the end of camp, you can see the kids dribbling the basketball with more speed.”

Attending camp again, Cleaton said, will help C.J. continue to improve his game.

By Otesa Miles

Fridays are a fun day for parents, guardians, family and friends to celebrate each camper’s accomplishments. During the last hour of Friday’s session — at 4 p.m. — Shaka Smart Basketball Camps participants receive their certificates and awards, a camp backpack and t-shirt, an official basketball and other goodies provided by camp sponsors. Campers often get VCU coaches and players to sign their basketballs or certificates while parents chat with coaches.

“Campers are always excited for their loved ones to visit on Family & Friends Friday. It gives them a chance to show off their new skills and introduce their parents to the VCU coaches and players they’ve worked with all week,” said camp director Maya Smart. “During that time we also have our Sponsors Expo, with lots of great information and goodies for the adults.”

Camp sponsors set up tables to share information and distribute helpful handouts, while campers say goodbye to their new friends.

Some family members come a bit earlier to watch the championship games immediately before the awards ceremony. Parents are always welcome to sit in the stands and watch during camp.

“Fitness and good health is definitely a family affair, so we encourage everyone to join us for Family & Friends Friday,” Maya Smart said.

By Otesa Miles

Vegetables, true super foods, don’t have commercials or come with prizes, so sometimes it takes more creativity to get them inside your youngster. At Shaka Smart Basketball Camps, we are committed to encouraging good health habits during summer basketball camp and all year round. So here are a few tips to encourage your camper to gobble more greens:

1. Make it fun. Would your grade schooler rather eat butternut squash or “slam dunk squash”? Broccoli florets or “better basketball broccoli”? Kids ate twice as many veggies in a recent Cornell University study when the healthy foods had cool names. It sounds like it’s worth coming up with a few creative names.

2. Try different presentations. Perhaps a silly face with carrot eyes will work for young kids and a skewer of vegetables may be more appealing to teens.

3. To cook or not to cook? If you have trouble getting your basketball camper to eat cooked greens, try raw. Some people dislike food because of texture. Crunchy, raw veggies have a ton of vitamins and other nutrients, so mix it up!

4. Roast your veggies. Roasting gives vegetables a different taste than eating raw or steamed.

5. Go local. There are several Richmond-area farmers markets that offer a variety of produce grown in Virginia. Meeting the farmer and asking questions might pique your camper’s interest.

6. What’s in your salad? A salad is so much more than iceberg lettuce. Spice yours up with red cabbage, spinach, romaine lettuce, mixed mesclun leaves, bok choy, apples, dried fruit, nuts, orange slices, colorful peppers, sunflower seeds, roasted vegetables, edamame, beans…As you see there’s no limit to salad selections.

7. Mix it up. Different foods have different nutrients, for example a half of a bell pepper has all of the vitamin C you need for a day, while one carrot contains 100% of the vitamin A recommended for each day.

8. Dip it. Try guacamole and hummus as healthy dips. They also work as a great nutrient-rich, tasty salad dressings.

9. Wrap it. Use lettuce or bok choy leaves as a wrap for veggie tacos, omelets or fajitas.

10. Blend it. If smoothies are popular in your home, try sliding in some veggies. Did you know a serving of spinach will not change the taste of a fruit smoothie?

We hope this helps you add more vegetables to your diet. If you have other ideas, please share them with us on our Facebook page!

By Otesa Miles

Parents always ask, “What should my child bring to Shaka Smart Basketball Camps?”

Our answer is usually: “not much, we’ve got most things covered.”

To answer your questions, we compiled a checklist of a few things that might be helpful when you drop your camper off with us.

1. Basketball shoes. Because this is an all-day basketball camp and not a day camp with a little basketball, your child will be playing basketball—a lot. So please ensure that your camper’s shoes fit, are comfortable and are appropriate for running and jumping.
2. Basketball attire. Now this doesn’t mean players need pull-away pants and jerseys with their names on the back. However, campers do need to wear clothing that will be comfortable for hours of physical activity. Basketball shorts, yes. Jeans, not so much.
3. Child’s medication. If your child has an inhaler, an epinephrine auto-injector or other medication to use in case of an urgent health situation, bring it. The medicine should contain its original labeling, along with instructions for use. On the first day of camp, please give any medications with the instructions for use to the camp’s trainer, who will be seated at the trainers/scorers table inside the Verizon Wireless Arena at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.
4. Money for the Camp Bank. There are several breaks throughout the day for campers to purchase drinks, snacks or apparel. Parents can deposit money in the Camp Bank for campers’ use throughout the day. Lunch is provided each day by the camp and water fountains are in several locations.
5. A Positive Attitude. At camp, your child will work with a new coach, meet and play with new teammates and learn new skills. Being a good listener and an encouraging teammate will make your camper an MVP at Shaka Smart Baskeball Camps!

What not to bring to camp:

1. Cell phones, video games, music players and other electronics. There is no place to store these items and, for safety reasons, we discourage campers from playing with items in their pockets. Shaka Smart Basketball Camps is not responsible for items that are lost, broken or stolen.
2. Cash. The camp staff is not responsible for lost or stolen money that campers have on their person. Instead, we recommend parents and guardians deposit money into the Camp Bank, a service that is included with the cost of camp registration. Campers can use money loaded into their camp accounts at the Camp Store throughout the camp week. Additional money can be loaded any time.
3. Jewelry. Because campers will be playing basketball most of the day, we urge them to leave the jewelry at home. Shaka Smart Basketball Camps is not responsible for jewelry that is lost, stolen or broken.
4. Any illegal or dangerous items should NOT be brought to camp.

By Otesa Miles

With only a few weeks left before the end of the school year, it’s time to finalize summer plans. Of course, Shaka Smart Basketball Camps should already be on your list! Beyond participating in the top Richmond summer basketball camp, it’s a good idea to establish a summer academic curriculum. This will ensure that you have a plan for yourself or, if you’re a parent, for your camper that includes working the academic muscles.

First, choose a few summer goals.

Make sure the goals are specific. A vague goal, such as, “get better grades,” is challenging because it isn’t well defined. It will be easier to create activities if your objective is very specific, such as:

• Improve multiplication skills,
• Choose a topic and start research on a science fair project or
• Complete three SAT practice tests.

Next, start gathering your resources.

A great place to start is at school. Ask this year’s teachers and teachers in the next grade level if they have suggestions. Teachers might also have what they call “summer bridge” booklets and activities, which are designed to help students smoothly bridge the gap between grades. Share your summer goal with them. Teachers often know of books, summer programs and have insight on what challenges most students face when entering the next grade.

Check online for resources.

The Virginia Department of Education lists on its website the information students should know at each grade level as well as standardized tests from previous years that can be used for practice. The site even has a special summer learning section. One cool feature: parents of elementary school students can sign up for a daily, free summer math email to help kids keep those math skills sharp!

Make sure your summer plan is fun!

Because you’re not sharing your learning experience with a class of 20 other students, your summer curriculum can be tailored to your needs and interests. If you like bugs, make all of your math, science, reading and writing projects about bugs. If you’re a science geek, incorporate that into your social studies, science and language arts lessons.

Summer break should be filled with fun and exercise—and we’ve got that covered while you’re at one of the most sought-after basketball camps in Virginia! But you don’t want your academics to suffer. Make sure you create your plan and stick with it!

What do parents say about our basketball summer camp? We received the letter below from a parent whose child attended VCU basketball camp last summer:

I cannot tell you what a great experience Shaka Smart Basketball Camps was for my son Mac Smith and for my husband and I. We all loved it.

The camp was so well organized and run. I feel terrible that I have forgotten the young man’s name who directed the camp, but he did a superior job. All of the coaches and players who coached and instructed the campers were knowledgeable, positive, upbeat and FUN!!! It seemed that they were having more fun than the kids!

The campers were quickly organized every morning and put into action almost immediately. Every good teacher and coach knows that players only get better if they have a ball in their hands and are practicing skills. It’s called “time on task” and the campers got plenty of it. The station work was excellent and always evolving—giving players a chance to show off skills they already had or learn something new and practice a skill they may normally neglect. The instructional environment of these stations was very beneficial.

The games and contests were very exciting and provided excellent game play experience. I liked that there were referees for each game and teams were composed of the right number of players for ultimate floor time. Lunch was reported to be good and the photo, basketball, bag, shirt and other goodies were icing on the cake. Loved the campwear too!!

All staff involved with the camp was helpful, polite and smiling at all times. A tornado warning went into effect one day during our week and the staff handled it beautifully. I can’t think of anything I would change and offer no advice for improvement.

My husband and I are both PE teachers and have coached a variety of sports for many years. My husband has played major league baseball. We have spent many years working at and watching sports camps and we both agree that Shaka Smart’s camp receives an A+!  I feel it is the best camp value for the unbelievably low fee. We can’t wait to come back next summer!!

Please forward this email to any camp staff member who would get a smile from receiving our gratitude and compliments (Shaka too!)

Thanks for all of your professional help Dianne (Long).

Sincerely,
Cyndie Smith

By Otesa Miles

Yes, practice makes perfect. That goes for basketball, as well as eating habits. Preparing for camp by staying active is awesome! It’s also a great idea practice to fueling up with healthy foods to keep the body ready for camp.

Fresh vegetables and fruits are the best foods for growing bodies.

A recent study showed that children under age 6 are eating more fruits and veggies, however, teens are eating less.

A great way to get more produce into kids is to let them pick out their own at local farmer’s markets. Shopping at these markets not only gives you access to fresh food, but gives you and your family the opportunity to meet the people growing your food. This might pique the interest of a pre-teen or teen who has been avoiding green leafy vegetables.

Below are some of the area farmer’s markets:

Resources:

Richmond Times-Dispatch’s listing of local farmer’s markets

Richmond Good Life’s list

Richmond.com’s list