Click here for camp photosThe Dog Days of Summer were hot, muggy, and filled with great basketball action at the make it better Nike Hoops Clinics throughout the greater Portland area. The free clinics, which are part of a partnership between the Trail Blazers and Nike, featured instruction on basic basketball fundamentals from dribbling to passing to shooting. In addition to basketball instruction, each participant played games and contests, learned how to stretch and prepare to play like the Trail Blazers do, and drank gallons and gallons of water. Some days, the clinics were so hot that the camp staff had to refill the 10-gallon water jugs two or three times. In fact, at Alberta Park in northeast Portland, a staff member had to bring an additional jug and bags of cups to meet the needs of the campers.
The Trail Blazers basketball outreach staff worked with Portland Public Schools to get the kids, including the 5th-6th Grade Transition Academy at Rose Park Elementary School and Franklin High School. By the end of the program, the staff had visited nine courts, including Essex Park, McCoy Park, Alberta Park, Grout School, Lents Park, Davis Elementary School, Kenton Park, Harold Oliver Intermediate School, Rose City Park, and Woodburn Junior High School. The clinics are held in conjunction with the summer lunch program administered by Portland Parks and Recreation. This was the fourth year the Trail Blazers and Nike have partnered to work with Portland Parks in hosting the clinics.
The clinics were led by Larry Brazzle, our make it better summer intern who is also the graduate assistant coach at Montana State University North, and staffed by Trail Blazers employees who are members of the make it better coaching corp. More than 15 employees joined Larry at the clinics, working with the more than 500 kids who participated. The make it better Nike Hoops Clinics are happening again next summer. Check out the make it better page at www.trailblazers.com/makeitbetter for more information.
