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Breakthrough Basketball Camps in Aitkin this SUmmer!
We're extremely excited to announce we will be offering two Breakthrough Basketball Camps in Aitkin this summer! The links are down below for you. These are exceptional camps. I highly encourage you to sign up your son or daughter. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks!
AGE GROUP: Grade 3 to 8, Boys and Girls
COST: $225
Currently sold out. You can sign up on the waiting list.
COST: $225
Currently sold out. You can sign up on the waiting list.
AGE GROUP: Grade 7 to 12, Boys and Girls
COST: $295
COST: $295
AHS Basketball Handbook
Please click on the link below to access the Boys' Basketball Handbook. Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you!
Aitkin HIgh School Athletic Calendar
Please click on the button link to see the new Athletics/Activities Page.
AHS & Elementary basketball Facebook Pages
Here's the link to our high school and elementary basketball Facebook pages. Please check it out for basketball information. Thanks!
PGC PartnerSHip!
Parents,
I'm excited to announce a new partnership with PGC Basketball.
As a PGC partner, I'm happy to share some of the benefits available to all players in our program:
- Up to $100 off player tuition for all PGC summer camps
- $50 off player tuition for all PGC fall camps
- FREE access to PGC's 365 Training—online workout and skills training videos—for a full year (regularly $195 per person, per year)
*Partner Program discounts cannot be combined with any other discount, except the early bird discount.
PGC 365 Training
365 Training has dozens of online workouts and skills training videos, and with our program's coupon code (Talk to Coach Smith for your Code) you can register now and then access the training videos anywhere you have an internet connection.
Our MIssion Statement
It's the mission of the Aitkin Boys’ Basketball Program to build confidence, commitment, and integrity in our players. Our goal is to teach our players to respect themselves, their peers, the community, coaches, and the game of basketball. This will be built by instilling honesty, responsibility, and teamwork in every player.
Together, our coaches, families, and volunteers will create an environment where every player can reach their full potential, develop their talents, and improve their skills in the game of basketball and most importantly life.
Together, our coaches, families, and volunteers will create an environment where every player can reach their full potential, develop their talents, and improve their skills in the game of basketball and most importantly life.
The key to Success
I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
Michael Jordan
Essential Basketball Skill
The Basics of Basketball
Passionate practice
Gets you better. Pace is fast, reps are game speed, focus is consistent. Teams/players that prefer this WIN often.
Quit sitting quietly on the Bench
"Hard work is not punishment. Hard work is the price of admission for the opportunity to reach sustained excellence" - Jay Bilas
"I tell the players that they can't relive any day in their lives and that they can't relive the minutes of a game, so they should make a great effort, a Mount Everest type effort, to live up to their potential." - Al McGuire
Characteristics of great players
Positive
Coachable
Hard Working
We > Me Mentality
Competitive
Tough
High Energy
Coachable
Hard Working
We > Me Mentality
Competitive
Tough
High Energy
Great Players!
Great players constantly do things that others don't. It has very little to do with skills or even athleticism. If you want to make it as a player, why not duplicate what great basketball players have always done? Do you want to know what they do?
Offensively
Great players:
Defensively
Great players:
Offensively
Great players:
- Catch the ball on a triple threat position (Don't dribble right away)
- Minimize dribbling. Great offensive players only need 2 dribbles to beat their defender.
- Are able to go both ways (left and right)
- Always make the right decision (shoot, pass, dribble at the right person at the right time)
- Screen away from the ball for their teammates (and open up to the ball after the screen)
- Always know clock and score
- Are vocal - Help teammates get in the right position
- Know their teammates, and pass to the right person at the right time
- Don't yell at the refs (ok they do sometimes, but it's bad!)
- Crash the boards (and don't get boxed out)
- Know how to position themselves to get in the right passing lanes
- Don't jump to pass the ball
- Throw strong chest passes
- Use screens to perfection (Curl, fade...)
- Don't turn the ball over (especially not in the last 5 minutes)
- Listen to the coaches during time outs
- Run the floor in transition (everyone in their lanes with space)
Defensively
Great players:
- Don't give up middle penetration
- Make offensive players take more than 2 dribbles to beat them
- Are in great defensive stance the entire defensive sequence
- Contest all shots. ALL SHOTS!
- Are always in good position (Deny or help side)
- Are extremely vocal (I got ball or I got your help...)
- GET AFTER IT!
- Box out physically
- Get loose balls
- Always see the man they guard and the ball when they're away from the ball
- Take charges
- Never foul a jump shooter
- Never get screened
- Hedge screens hard
- Never let their man cut in the paint
- Don't allow backdoor cuts
