PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — From the mid-1980s through the late-1990s, it was known as the basketball camp to attend in the region. And now it’s making a comeback.
Aroostook Basketball Camp is being revived 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, who will serve as co-director of the camp.
“The last few years, a number of kids who had attended the camp and are now parents have asked me about bringing back [the camp],” said Bill Casavant, “and now that I’m retired, it is more convenient.”
The dates were recently established for this summer’s sessions, with boys’ week running from June 27-July 1 and girls’ week from July 11-15, 2016.
The camp is for youth 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, this year’s is a day camp offered from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The venues will be the Northern Maine Community College gymnasium and the Presque Isle Middle School gymnasium.
Each day will consist of mini lectures/activities headed up by members of the coaching staff, drill stations, individual and team competitions and five-on-five games. Lunch will be served to campers at the NMCC cafeteria between the morning and afternoon sessions.
Casavant said he is still working on building the coaching staff and is also hoping to feature a guest lecturer from outside of the camp’s staff.
“There aren’t many camps like this offered in The County,” Casavant added. “It will be unique it that there will be a lot of intense drills and work done in the fundamentals of the game of basketball.”
The cost to attend the camp is $145. Casavant said brochures and registration forms will be distributed to local communities over the next couple weeks. For more information, call Casavant at 764-0810.
