PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Aroostook Basketball Camp, which was revived last year after a nearly 20-year absence, is back this summer with the boys’ session set for June 26-30 and the girls’ session from July 10-14.
The camp will be directed by Bill Casavant, who has coached many years at both the high school and collegiate levels and currently serves as a varsity boys’ assistant at Caribou High School under his son, Chris. Chris Casavant also will serve as co-director of the summer basketball camp.
Dillon Kingsbury, Jeff Hudson, Tyler Putnam, Larry Murphy, Cliff Urquhart and Marc Weeks are the other coaches on staff.
The location of this year’s camp is Presque Isle High School after it was held at Northern Maine Community College a year ago.
“Having two gyms in the same building allows us a lot more flexibility as we put one group in one gym and a second group in the other and rotate them,” Bill Casavant said. “It’s nice to never have to leave the building to get to a second gym.”
The camp is for youths between the ages of 9 and 15, who will be placed into either the high school division for younger players or college division for older players. Previously an overnight camp held at NMCC that was popular in the 1980s and 90s, this year’s day camp hours are from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Each day will consist of mini lectures and activities headed up by members of the coaching staff, drill stations, individual and team competitions, and five-on-five games. Campers will be transported to the cafeteria at Northern Maine Community College for an all-you-can-eat lunch between the morning and afternoon sessions.
Awards will be presented at the end of the last day of camp, recognizing both individual and team excellence.
“There aren’t many camps like this offered in The County,” Bill Casavant said. “It will be unique in that there will be a lot of intense drills and work done in the fundamentals of the game of basketball.”
The cost to attend is $145. Brochures and registration forms are available at local recreation departments and Star City IGA in Presque Isle. For more information, call Bill Casavant at 764-0810, email him at bballump34@yahoo.com, or go on the Aroostook Basketball Camp’s Facebook page.
