As the campers take their positions to begin a fast break drill, Pompton Lakes Boy’s head basketball coach Mike McCarthy is right in the middle of the action. He yells instructions to the offense, and then turns his attention to the defenders, all in a matter of seconds. The team with the ball gets down court, but soon is stymied and McCarthy puts an end to the play with the ever-present whistle fastened around his neck.
"This was a fast break drill," McCarthy says as he takes the ball away. "They made you pass the ball more than two times, that’s a successful defensive effort."
There are many camps available to kids during the summer months and most of them are designed with one thing in mind; allow the kids to have fun. McCarthy feels the same way but also thinks that taking things a bit more serious can also be fun.
At the second annual Cardinal-Tower basketball camp, McCarthy’s thinking is to teach the kids that basketball is not just about shooting. There’s defense, rebounding, and knowing how to use the court to your advantage whether your team has the ball or not.
"I think it’s important for kids at a younger age to learn the fundamentals and realize that basketball is an intense game," says McCarthy. "You need to drill it into them. It is a fun sport but many kids are surprised when they’re working hard, they’re sweating, and they’re tired."
The camp is open to kids from third through twelfth grade and among the attendees are two players that will be instrumental in the Cardinals basketball season next winter, Tim Kirk and Tanner Wilson.
Last year, the camp’s first 30 kids attended this year that number grew to 43. McCarthy doesn’t shy away from the fact that the kids are going to work and speaks with pride when Kirk told him that the camp felt like six hours of tryouts.
"To me, that’s great because I want these kids to work hard and learn what it takes to be successful and improve," says McCarthy.
Most children have access to a basketball hoop in their driveway, a friend’s house, or a local park or schoolyard. There they play and shoot around but without the proper coaching, learn many bad habits that can hinder their development as a player, especially if they have thoughts of playing at the high school level. Once there, a coach needs to "un-teach" the bad before offering up the good.
"A lot of the kids are used to seeing the NBA players that go between the legs with the ball and do all those fancy tricks and really, that’s not the game of basketball," says McCarthy. "It’s really about dribbling, playing defense, rebounding, and being able to box out that wins ball games. I have to tell you, these kids come in, from the third graders to the seniors, and they work hard and they listen to what we have to say."
McCarthy also knows that these youngsters are the future of Cardinal basketball and that by staging this camp he can develop a rapport with the kids so that when they come of age, he will have already forged a relationship with them.
"I teach in town, I try to go to a lot of football, and basketball games in town because it’s important for them to know who I am," says McCarthy. "This way there are no surprises if they intend to play for me at the high school."
