Marble Falls basketball camp helps grow the sport

CAPTION: Ayden Alexander squares up to take a shot during a shooting drill at the Lone Star Hoops camp conducted at Marble Falls Middle School last week. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

Making basketball great in the Hill Country drives the Marble Falls Independent School District coaches.

That was at the heart of last week’s camp held in partnership with Lone Star Hoops and led by Jan Jernberg, who coached the Lake Travis Cavaliers, and Tim Kaman, Fredericksburg High School boys basketball coach.

“They’ve been doing it for 36 years,” assistant athletics director and boys basketball head coach John Berkman said. “They have a good system and make it fun. It’s something kids enjoy.”

The camp drew 121 students from Burnet, Faith Academy, Llano, Marble Falls and the surrounding area.

“We were really excited to have that many kids,” Berkman said. “We had about 90 a year ago. We felt like we were able to attract a lot of kids from the Hill Country — that’s the goal.”

Several coaches stood at different stations with children in elementary school through rising ninth-graders. They observed, corrected and emphasized the proper ways to shoot, pass, move without the ball, defend and other important aspects of the sport. Fundamentals were drilled as coaches emphasized the fun.

Campers also played in scrimmages during the afternoon.

Berkman said a goal of his and his dad, Larry, who was the Mustangs head coach for more than two decades before he retired 20 years ago, is to promote the sport throughout the region.

“That’s something that’s always been important to me and my dad,” he said. “We’ve always been a family of wanting basketball to be better in the Hill Country, Marble Falls specifically. We want basketball to be good in the Hill Country.”

He noted the youth sports league run by the City of Marble Falls’ Parks and Recreation Department is a popular choice for children and is beneficial to the participants.

In addition, Marble Falls ISD partnering with Lone Star Hoops and opening the camp to any player who wanted to get better made perfect sense because of what the school district has on its campuses. The camp was held at Marble Falls Middle School where the gyms are side by side. That allowed the directors to walk through doors to work with, observe and correct attendees and made every minute of the camp count.

“Not every school has our resources and what we have in gym space,” Berkman said. “We’re hoping to promote basketball in the Hill Country. That helps us all.”

Watch videos on Highland Lakes sports by going to Fierro’s YouTube channel and searching for The Broad Podcaster. Please like, subscribe and share.

CAPTION: Saiyah Macintosh scores on a reverse lay-up as Shelbi Wall waits for the ball. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro