Basketball is fun. But it’s even more fun as part of an active, healthy lifestyle that extends beyond the court. At the camp this year, our positive and enthusiastic coaches will help you become a better basketball player and encourage you to embrace fitness and nutrition for a lifetime. We also hope you’ll make new friends and love the game as much as we do.
Each morning, VCU assistant coaches blow their whistles and campers report to the Stuart C. Siegel Center. Campers line up in single-file lines to begin their day with stretches and an energetic morning pep talk. This is how the premier children’s basketball camp in Virginia starts each day. “Remember, we are all a part of the same team,” says Coach Rhoades, reminding campers to respect one another and work together. Campers hustle to assemble in their team lines.
On the blow of another whistle, campers break off for stations, where they work on specific basketball skills. Rigorously sprinting and sliding, campers hustle to improve their dribbling, passing, shooting and defensive techniques under the direction of a crew of experienced coaches. Team competitions are also in the mix. Games of Hot Shot, Knock-Out and One-on-One allow the campers to compete in friendly individual competitions. Sometimes they earn a special treat and get to interact with the VCU basketball players!
Coach Rhoades believes basketball camp should be full of fun and learning in a safe environment for young ball players. The health and safety of our campers is the top priority of each member of the camp staff. We work hard to adhere to National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) sports safety guidelines. This helps us keep our young campers safe and away from injuries. In addition, we serve a healthy lunch each camp day and we encourage campers to drink plenty of water. Another way we cut down on injuries is through proper preparation. Kids should expect to do stretching at the beginning of each day to get their bodies ready for a lot of physical activity.
Richmond, Virginia’s capital city, is conveniently located in Central Virginia—a quick 20-30 minute drive from Chester, Midlothian, Chesterfield, Mechanicsville, Hanover and Ashland. Coach Rhoades Basketball Camps are only an hour from Northern Virginia or Charlottesville. It’s 90 minutes from the Hampton Roads area and less than two hours from Washington.
We are a summer day camp and therefore do not provide overnight accommodation. However, we do have campers from out of town who drive in daily and those who stay with grandparents for the week. As always, family members are welcome to watch from the stands. We love meeting new friends from all over!
Although boys definitely outnumber the girls at our camp, we welcome girl power to each of our camp sessions! Our female campers let us know they have a great time improving their fundamental basketball skills. The coaching is tailored to each camper’s ability. So whether your kid is a budding LeBron James, a future Brittney Griner or a relative rookie, we’ll meet them on their level. By placing players on small teams of 10, we can match campers who are close in age and skill level. Each team has an experienced, individual coach who works on one skill at a time. Each day is filled with dribbling, shooting, passing, defense, teamwork and the most important ingredient for a successful summer camp: FUN!