Hooping at Howland’s Camp

One peek through the doors of the Palisades High gymnasium this week is all it takes to know that UCLA men’s basketball coach Ben Howland is back for his summer youth camp. The indoor and outdoor courts are a bustle of activity as Howland and his staff teach aspiring young players the ins and outs of the sport with a variety of drills, scrimmages and activities. “The most important thing is that we want you to have fun,” Howland told his attentive audience at the opening of camp Monday morning. “Almost as important, however, is that we want you to learn.” Howland stressed the importance of “not giving up,” citing the Bruins’ 17-point comeback against Gonzaga in the NCAA tournament two years ago as an example of why players should try their hardest until the end. Showing the same enthusiasm he displayed on the court during “March Madness” several months ago, Howland clapped whenever his campers made a basket or showed proper dribbling technique. “It’s a lot of fun to be here and we’ve had a great turnout,” Howland said. “It’s also nice having access to the small gym.” Open to boys and girls ages 6-14, Howland’s camp offers specialized instruction with an emphasis on the fundamentals essential to developing a player’s skills in areas like rebounding, ball-handling, passing, defense, free throw shooting and jump shooting. After working on specific drills in the morning, campers apply what they learned in scrimmage games in the afternoon, broken down by age. Howland’s camp ends Friday.