Blugold women's basketball camps teach more than just the game
What started out as a traditional summer basketball camp a quarter century ago has turned into so much more than that for Tonja Englund and the UW-Eau Claire women’s basketball team.
The annual Blugold women’s basketball summer camps began as a way to teach the basics of the game and for young girls in the area to sharpen their prowess on the hardwood. But along the way, they have been fine-tuned and now also include discussion of leadership skills that students can take with them long after their days in the sport are over. There are six separate camps that run throughout the summer starting in mid-June and wrapping up the last week of July and the beginning of August.
“My hope is that it’s a transformational experience for them and that they can take these skills not only as a player, but for life skills, too. I also think that this is transformational for them as a human being,” Englund, who is head women’s basketball coach for the Blugolds, said, adding that the camps obviously deal with allowing players to hone and strengthen their basketball skills, “but also we want them to become better human beings.” In addition to that, the head coach said that “they will gain confidence and meet new friends.”
The six individual camps — all of which will be staged at the McPhee Center — and a brief description of what each one entails, including what grades as of this fall each camp is designed for are:
Three-Day Basketball and Leadership Camp
Entering Grades 1-8
June 11-13 from 1 p.m.-4 p.m., Cost $125
Shooting, Offensive Skills and Leadership Camp
Entering Grades 3-12
June 17, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Cost $95
Compete Camp
Entering Grades 5-12
June 20 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Cost $95
Overnight Camp
Entering Grades 5-12
June 23-25, Overnight and Commuter, Cost $260/$310
Ballhandling, Playmaking and Scoring Camp
Entering Grades 5-12
July 1, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Cost $95
Three-Day Basketball and Leadership Camp
Entering Grades 1-8
July 31-August 2, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., Cost $125
While the camps have changed since their inception, what hasn’t differed for Englund is the joy she gets from conducting them.
“I absolutely love it,” Englund told the Leader-Telegram. There is a leadership component to it. We spend a lot of time on growth, leadership and maturity. It’s great for the players (who attend the various sessions) and great for my players. I’m very proud of it, it’s a unique product.”
As Englund noted, joining the Blugolds’ women’s basketball coaches are UWEC women’s basketball players who help with both aspects of the camps.
“I have my players share their stories,” she said. “There’s always representatives from my team and also a lot of my former alumni who are (now) teaching and coaching come to help out… and that’s valuable.”
Englund said that “we fine tune our camps to each player who is there. It’s very personalized. It’s a very welcoming atmosphere and it’s OK to make mistakes. I find that a high percentage of our campers are returning ones.”
And that speaks volumes for the camps and what those attending learn from the sessions. It’s a win-win situation for both the young girls who come to UWEC and for the university, too.
“It’s great for our campers to see the beautiful campus,” she said, noting that some campers might eventually decide to attend UW-Eau Claire, and of course, “we always invite the campers to come back and watch our games” during the women’s basketball season.
Englund noted that many young girls attend more than one camp during the course of the summer “because each camp is different.”
Registration remains open for all sessions of the camp. For registration and more information on the camps, go to Blugolds.com/camps/wbb. For additional questions and specific details on the time of arrival for the Overnight Camp, interested campers can contact the coach specifically at engluntj@uwec.edu.
