Successful United Basketball Shooting Camp

80 kids stood ready, full of anticipation, at 10.00 on Friday 30 December for a basketball event centred on improving shooting and finishing skills. Led by head coach Jeroen van Vugt, assisted by top shooters from the BNXT/Women’s Basketball League and United Academy trainers/coaches, the group worked with plenty of enthusiasm and energy at Sportcentrum De Kooi on making shots and lay-ups.

It became a successful day with exercises run at 8 different stations, all focused on better shooting technique, easier scoring, and a higher success rate finishing at the rim. Just before five o’clock the last ball flew through the hoop, and the participants could tuck into the buffet, tired but satisfied, before watching the match between Yoast United and Zeeuw & Zeeuw Feyenoord Basketball with family and friends. Wietze Nossek and Francis Lācis showed there how good shooting technique at the Netherlands’ highest level translates into a mountain of points for the winning Yoast United team (final score: 85-74).

The hard facts

A few facts and figures from the Shooting Camp:

• 80 participants (11 girls)
• aged 8 to 18
• from 23 different clubs
• 11 coaches and 14 volunteers
• 450 sandwiches, currant buns and energy bars
• 100 apples, bananas and mandarins, 240 yoghurts
• 8 kg pasta, 5 kg rice, 5 kg cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes
• 12 cold packs, 8 gauze pads, 4 plasters and 1 pair of crutches
• 4,600 successful shots (roughly)
• 20 quiz questions

United Basketball

The Shooting 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.

United Basketball Skills Camp: Saturday 3 June

The next Skills event from United Basketball takes place on Saturday 3 June. Mark that date in your diary so you know you can be there — more information will follow later. Shooting Camp participants 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, so even more balls will find the net.

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