February 12, 2012
Camp Training for the Next Generation Should Include Talent Development and Self-Discipline
San Rafael, CA (PRWEB) - Basketball players who are disciplined both on and off the court are becoming increasingly valuable not only in the NBA but by this generation of parents. With the pendulum swinging away from the narcissistic, petulant athlete to ones who sacrifice for the good of the team, parents and coaches are looking for programs which focus on developing the intrinsic qualities of self-discipline, leadership and mental toughness along with solid fundamental basketball training.
People are beginning to ask if becoming great at basketball is enough to succeed in the NBA regardless of lifestyle off the court? Is self-discipline solely based on personality? “Not so,“ says NBC Camps President Fred Crowell, “Self-discipline can be developed and should be. We believe helping campers become confident, disciplined, and mentally tough in life requires the same purposeful training needed to have a great jump shot or cross over move.”
Head scout for the Indiana Pacers, Ryan Carr, former NBC Camps coach and camper, believes helping young athletes become disciplined off the court is as important as the training on the court. For those athletes who have the skills to make it to the NBA, surviving the challenges of the NBA requires intensive discipline in many areas including nutrition, fitness, financial planning, and good decision making. Carr believes the more disciplined a player is off the court the better success this player will have in navigating the life of an elite athlete.
According to Carr, NBA managers and coaches want athletes who can manage their personal lives well. The NBA works hard to help younger athletes make that huge leap into the lifestyle of the NBA. Having college players who understand the importance of integrity, character, and discipline off the court makes NBA scouts take notice. “I watch how a player reacts when he is subbed out of the game. If he has a tantrum or pouts, that’s a big negative in my mind,” states Carr.
Not only do NBA managers and coaches want athletes with discipline off the court, parents and schools are wanting more character off the court as well. Even though NBC Camps curriculum is intense by camp standards, according to NBC Vice President Jennifer Ferch, campers and parents love it. “Our 2012 slogan, Dreams Come True When We Wake Up and Go To Work, is an inspiration to many of our campers. Every kid dreams of playing in the NBA and WNBA. We want to help kids wake up and get the tools to make their dreams reality.”
This summer NBC Basketball Camps will be focusing on talent development, elevating leadership, confidence and mental toughness. This year’s summer theme, Sacrifice: work now, victory later, is striking a cord with parents and campers all around the country. “We’ve been in the summer sports camp industry for over 40 years and we see a shift happening in homes and schools. I think parents are truly bothered by the trends of obesity, apathy and a generation spending on average 31 hours of their 38 hours per week of free time on TV and video games," says Ferch. “Parents and campers want to put their efforts into something worthwhile. We want to help athletes understand how the body develops talent, how crucial a young brain in development is, how to maximize practice and training time as well as help athletes learn ways to increase their discipline off the court.”
NBC Camps, founded in 1971, has become the largest overnight basketball and volleyball camp program in the world and is located in over 40 cities and 5 countries. For more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Jennifer Ferch, please call 1-800-406-3926 or visit the NBC Camps website at www.nbccamps.com