Top coaches to bring wealth of experience to ‘Triple Threat’ basketball camp
SEVERAL high profile basketball coaches will be sharing their knowledge and skills at a Halloween Basketball Camp that will take place at Killarney Sports Centre from Tuesday October 30 to Thursday November 1. The annual ‘Triple Threat’ Basketball Camp is the brainchild of well known Killarney basketball coach James Weldon and it presents a great opportunity for budding young basketballers to work with and learn from some top coaches.
The three-day Halloween camp runs from Tuesday October 30 and is open to boys and girls from age six to 17 and will be divided into two sections. The junior camp is for 6 to 11-year olds and takes place from 10am to 1pm on each of the three days. The senior camp is for 12 to 17-year olds and will run from 2 to 5pm each day
Coaches at this camp include some of the best Irish and International coaches. James Weldon is joined by Irish U-18 Women’s head coach, Tommy O’Mahony, Irish Internationals Claire Rockall and Louise Galvin, Scotts Lakers star player Sean O’Brien and Rathmore’s Jim Hughes while Portugal senior national team head coach Ricardo Vasconcelos is an exciting addition to the camp this year. Ricardo is also the national youth player development director for girls in Portugal and has been a major driving force in their huge progress in international basketball over the past few years.
Kerry native Ireland Tommy O’Mahony has many years of coaching experience at all levels. He led the Irish U-18 girls team to a European sliver medal last year. Scotts Lakers star player Sean O’Brien is one of the most talented Americans playing in Ireland this season. He played top flight NCAA division one basketball with Colgate University and has made an instant impression in the national league since his arrival in Killarney.
Talented all-rounder Louise Galvin is a former Irish U-18 basketball captain and also led the UL Huskies to national league and cup success. Louise has also played senior football for the Kerry ladies team and more recently she has played rugby for Ireland in the World Cup.
Irish International Claire Rockall is the current Women’s Superleague Player of the Year and has represented Ireland at every level. She has played college basketball at a very high level in the USA with Iowa State while at domestic level in Ireland, she has won multiple leagues and cups with her club Glanmire.
Jim Hughes is well-known in Kerry basketball circles with several years experience as a player and coach. Jim has also served as Assistant Coach to the Irish U-16 and U-18 teams and has guided Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra to a number of All Ireland titles in recent years.
James Weldon is a FIBA Europe Coaching Certificate (FECC) approved basketball coach and one of Europe’s most qualified youth coaches. He is a former Superleague player with St. Pauls Killarney and coached the St. Pauls ladies team through an impressive stint in the top flight before going on to enjoy incredible success with the all conquering UL Huskies Superleague and national cup winning team . He coached UL to ten national titles in four seasons and was honoured with the Irish Basketball coach of the year award on three different occasions. His talents have also been recognised with his appointment as head coach to a number of Irish teams.
These coaches will guide all participants through some challenging and very beneficial skills sessions. Young players will learn new skills and drills and gain a huge insight into the fundamentals of basketball that will help them improve their overall game.
Triple Threat is a basketball term where a player is in position to pass, dribble and shoot on offense. The Triple Threat Basketball Camp will have daily stations covering all the passing, shooting, dribbling and rebounding skills. Participants will also enjoy 3 v 3 games and 5 v 5 games and an NBA skills challenge.
A novel attraction at the camp will be the use of the latest basketball technology including the ‘Blast App’ and the 94Fifty Smart Sensor Basketball. This is a regulation basketball with sensors inside. The sensors in the basketball use of point-of-force technology to record data about your shot and your dribble and then provide data which can be instantly analysed and provide feedback in real time.
Participants will be able to enjoy the magnificent facilities at Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre which boasts two full size indoor basketball courts. The wonderful indoor playing arena is sure to guarantee an enjoyable experience no matter what the weather is like outside.
Places at the camp are limited and have already been filling up very quickly in recent weeks. Further information about registration is available from weldonjames7@ hotmail.com or the Triple Threat Basketball facebook page or call or text 087 2907 455.