Champions are Made.

According to Gini Basketball, that was the T-shirt mantra of the week at the Ganon Baker Elite Camp that took place from August 17-20 at Okanagan Mission Secondary School in Kelowna.

 

 

About 120 kids starting at grades 6-7 and all the way up to the first year of university attended the four-day basketball bonanza. These wannabe champions had the chance to receive first-hand instruction from father-and-son camp directors Dino and Andrew Gini, as well as other select coaches. They had the chance to work on basic drills such as ball handling, shooting, playing defense, and running set plays on offense. They had the chance to play full-court games in the afternoon.

 

The highlight for many was the in-your-face instruction from basketball guru Ganon Baker. According to his website, Baker is a Nike Skill Development Trainer and Workout Director out of Delray Beach, Florida. He has worked with the NBA’s elite – Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and Kyrie Irving.

 

I had a chance to attend the camp for three days as a referee for the afternoon games. On Tuesday during a game break, Baker gathered the older boys together for a ball-handling session. All the players, including the guards and bigs, were instructed to hold a basketball in one hand and a tennis ball in the other. Baker then demonstrated a series of between-the-legs dribbling drills. He was relentless in his technique, it was impressive.

 

Then it was the players’ turn. Oh boy, things went haywire quickly. Balls were banging and bouncing around the gym like gym class dodge ball. Most players exhibited limited handles and control. Baker was unimpressed and non-plussed. He expected more, no, he demanded more! 

 

He called the players together and delivered this sermon. “You have to strive for greatness in all you do,” he bluntly emphasized. “You have to work harder than ever before and make yourself uncomfortable in the game. You have to walk into a gym or city court where the players are bigger, faster, and better than you. You tell them you want their best game so you can get better. Then you take your lumps, go home, and come back again the next day for more. Being uncomfortable will push you to elevate your game to another level.”

 

According to Dino Gini, this was the camp’s fifth year. Baker has attended all five and developed quite a no-nonsense reputation. “He’s good with the kids,” said Gini. “He demands a lot from them and they thrive on that. “They see his passion and it motivates them. The elite players want to be challenged. He definitely makes them uncomfortable at times and that’s a positive.”

 

The key takeaway for me – how many campers will take a champion’s approach and go home and practice certain drills? Day after day. Month after month. Especially the ball handling. The proof may show up during the upcoming school-ball season when a few of them are more comfortable than ever on the court.