A United girls' player driving to the basket with the ball (standard illustrative photo, not related to this article)

Plenty of positive energy at the QSTA United Skills Camp

Published

75 kids stood in Bemmel at 10.30 on Saturday 6 January, eager to sign in for the first QSTA United Basketball event of 2024. Led by head coach Mark Hooiveld, assisted by an enthusiastic coaching staff, the group worked at Sportcentrum De Kooi with plenty of enthusiasm and energy on improving basketball fundamentals. All of this at the QSTA United Skills Camp ‘New Year Edition’.

It became a fun, sociable and successful day with exercises run at 6 different stations, all focused on dribbling, passing, catching, shooting, rebounding, footwork and teamwork. After some hilarious matches between the coaches (they just couldn’t help wanting to win) and the kids, and after a shooting contest with United Basketball sponsors, the last ball flew through the hoop just before six o’clock, and the participants could tuck into the buffet, tired but satisfied, before watching a great match between Yoast United and Donar Groningen with family and friends.

The hard facts

A few facts and figures from the QSTA United Basketball Skills Camp:

  • 75 participants (16 girls)
  • aged 7 to 18
  • from 22 different clubs
  • 10 coaches
  • 2 Shoot Out winners
  • 400 sandwiches, currant buns and energy bars
  • 180 energy drinks
  • 200 apples, bananas and mandarins
  • 1 roll of tape (almost no injuries!)
  • 4,300 successful shots (roughly)

United Basketball

The QSTA United Camp was organised by United Basketball, an organisation whose goal is to further develop and professionalise basketball in Gelderland. United Basketball is a top-sport organisation for basketball players and teams competing at the highest level of the national leagues. We work with passion towards an optimal sporting climate in which talents can develop structurally and teams can perform to their maximum. De Kooi in Bemmel is our organisation’s home base, where everyone — from player and coach to volunteer — feels involved and can act within a positive sporting culture. United Basketball organises, among other things, regional training sessions, clinics for coaches and basketball players, and talent-identification days.

QSTA United Basketball Skills Camp: Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May

The next Skills event from United Basketball takes place on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May. We’re still working out the exact format, but mark those dates in your diary now so you know you can be there — more information will follow later. Participants from the QSTA United Skills Camp New Year Edition can join at a discount.

In the meantime, we naturally wish all participants a lot of fun and success in the second half of the competition. We have every confidence that what was learned will be put into practice — hard defence, solid rebounding and intensive teamwork!

A big thank you to all participants, their parents/carers, Mark Hooiveld and his staff, all the volunteers, and Sportcentrum De Kooi. Together we made it a wonderful day.

United Basketball Frans, Mark, Steven, René & Casper