Members of the Huntsville Hurricanes boys teams had the opportunity to up their game this summer. A three-day camp organized by local coach Chris Nikiforuk featured Pelham Panthers coach and No Limit Performance trainer Mike Hurley. (Last week, Hurley was named interim head coach of the Niagara College men’s basketball program.)<\/p>\n
From August 15-17, 35 players in grades four through 11 – most of them from the Hurricanes rep and house league teams, some from further afield who are cottagers or visiting family – gathered in the Huntsville High School gym for some next-level skills development. (A girls’ camp was held earlier in the month.)<\/p>\n
“This is a big deal for their growth,” said Nikiforuk, who played high school basketball with Hurley in the Niagara region. “Having a college-level coach raises the bar for instruction and it’s a good opportunity for the kids if they are serious about sports. It gives them a bigger picture of the game of basketball.”<\/p>\n
Hurley agreed. “I think it\u2019s huge (for player development) almost more important than anything else, and this is the time to be doing it,” he said. “During the season, coaches tend to focus on the competition side of the game, so this is a great time to develop as a player and learn new concepts. We do skill development first and concepts second before we start playing the game. They learn to be better basketball players both individually and as teammates.”<\/p>\n
The instruction is geared toward the top players in the camp, and is modified for the younger or less experienced players with the help of Nikiforuk, and fellow coaches Martha Lapp and Todd Truax. “We push (the more experienced players) and then we modify for the younger kids so they might just do a little less or do it at their own pace, especially when we\u2019re doing skill development,” said Hurley.<\/p>\n\n\t\t