OKLAHOMA CITY, June 23, 2010 – As part of its commitment to young people in the community, the Oklahoma City Thunder is hosting a five-day Youth Basketball Camp in Norman beginning Monday, July 19.
Presented by Cox Communications, the camp is one of several scheduled in central Oklahoma this summer to help instruct children on the fundamentals of basketball and the life lessons that stem from the game.
“The camps are a terrific setting for young Thunder fans to develop basketball skills and have a lot of fun in the process,” said Dan Mahoney, Thunder Vice President of Corporate Communications and Community Relations.The Norman camp takes place 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. from Monday, July 19 to Friday, July 23. It will be held at Whittier Recreation Center at 2000 W. Brooks Street.
Thunder Youth Basketball camps also focus on such concepts as teamwork, sportsmanship, humility, discipline and respect. As with each camp, the Norman program will feature a Thunder presence that can include players and coaches. Previous camps have included visits from Serge Ibaka, Eric Maynor and Byron Mullens, as well as Thunder assistant coach Rex Kalamian.
Scheduled to help coach at the Norman camp is Nate Tibbetts, head coach of the Tulsa 66ers, the Thunder’s NBA Development League team. Rumble the Bison Rumble the Bison will also pay a special visit to Norman campers.
Thunder Youth Basketball Camps are open to boys and girls from 5 to 16. Registration and additional information is available here. Thunder Season Ticket Members and members of the Thunder Kids Club receive a 20-percent discount off registration. Each participant receives a Thunder Youth Basketball T-shirt, headband and bag, as well as a ticket to an upcoming Thunder game.
The Thunder works with the National Basketball Academy to run the camps. The Academy organizes youth basketball programs for several other NBA teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, New Orleans Hornets, and Minnesota Timberwolves.