Elite Hoops and Trussville High School left a great mark with the campers this week. The inaugural NIKE Boys Basketball Camp at Trussville High School has been an outstanding experience. All the campers and parents were amazing.

Championship Friday was nothing less than inspirational for all the staffers and campers. That morning, the campers walked into the gym with an extra bounce in their step. Anyone could notice the focused and determined look in the eyes of the campers. We started off the day with living by numbers. Next we quickly jumped into our individual skills stations for a quick review. Each day the campers rotated between 3 different skill stations. Individual skills, 3on3, and video session gives helps teach all parts of the game to the campers.

Now its championship time! The first championship round was the 5on5 games. In the high school and college division we had two overtime games was an exciting finish. The NBA division championship was dominated by one team. The Celtics shared the basketball and played team defensive the entire week. Next was our Living By Numbers Championships. One camper broke our previous record and was thrilled about the honor. Its my guess the player has been practicing the Living by Numbers (LBN) program online. Lastly was the crowd favorite 3on3 Cut Throat Championship. All week the campers have been earning points and learning different ways to be successful with their teams. Coaches, players, and parents enjoyed the intensity during the 3on3 games.

Championship Friday ended with our NIKE Awards Ceremony. All the campers received camps T-shirts, workbooks, players evaluations, and various fun prizes. The campers that performed well during the LBN Championships, earned autographed NIKE basketballs and NIKE gear. Below is the list of LBN winners and the photos of the individual winners. We are sad the camp ended today, but we are more excited about the improvement of all the campers. Until next year Trussville!

"We Got Next" was the first slogan for the newly formed Woman's National Basketball Association (WNBA) in 1997. The slogan represented the demand and responsibility for not just female basketball players, but for all female athletes period. Since the initial launch of the WNBA, more fans and supporters have climbed on board. Now there are 12 competitive teams in the WNBA with future plans on increasing. Elite Hoops Basketball has recently added more female players to the program. Michelle Manfredi, EHB Girls Director, has quickly formed several new girls basketball camps and events. This summer, EHB will have 7 NIKE Girls Basketball Camps. While the WNBA is kicking off another successful season, we will make sure we match their success. "We have NOW", new slogan for the WEHB.

Elite Hoops own Michelle Manfredi will be hosting the 2013 NIKE Girls Basketball Camps. Outside of Manfredi's great work with Elite Hoops, her resume speaks volumes. Manfredi has D1 experience as a player and coach from Niagara University. As Niagara's all time leader in minutes and games played, she helped develop players at the university on and off the court. Also, Manfredi has professional experience playing in Germany plus individual workouts with the WNBA LA Sparks. If you think you can keep up, come to one of the NIKE Girls Basketball Camps this summer.

The 2013 summer will be loaded with different opportunities for girls between the ages of 8-14. The NIKE Girls Basketball Camp will start in Alabama at Vestavia Hills High School in Birmingham, May 28-31. Metro Atlanta will host 4 different all girls camp at Greater Atlanta Christian, Blessed Trinity High School, St. Francis High School, and Sandy Springs United Methodist Church. Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville, TN will host 1 girls camp in July. Lastly, California University of Pennsylvania will be the hometown location for Michelle Manfredi. This will be Elite Hoops first camp in Pennsylvania. To register for one of the NIKE Girls Basketball Camps, please click the your preferred location below.

Vestavia Hills High School- Birmingham, AL click HERE

Blessed Trinity High School- Roswell, GA click HERE

Greater Atlanta Christian School- Norcross, GA click HERE

St. Francis High School- Alpharetta, GA click HERE

Christ Presbyterian Academy- Nashville, TN click HERE

Sandy Springs United Methodist Church- Sandy Springs, GA click HERE

California Univeristy of Pennsylvannia- California, PA click HERE

I was somewhat puzzled when thinking about this blog but with Mother's Day approaching I figured this would be a great subject to write about.  We had our first round of staff interviews the other night and one of the questions I asked was... "Who do you look up to most?"  I had a lot of great answers and I had quite a few that said their mom.  When I was asked that same question, my immediate response was "my mom." 

Along with today's playset, I would like to share one of my personal basketball terms named looper. The definition of a looper is someone that can weave in and out of traffic on the basketball court. Any open area to recieve the basketball, a looper will find that spot. Another commonly used basketball term that is similar to a looper is a slasher. Dwayne Wade, James Harden, and Manu Ginobili are some of the best loopers or slashers in the NBA. With or without the basketball, each of them can slip between any crack of the defense and find a way to score.

If the game of basketball had a mascot, it would be a pine tree. Why you ask? The history of basketball proves that pine wood played a major role in the development of the great sport. In the beginning, pine wood was commonly used for basketball courts and bleachers. The phrase "ride the pine" for players that did not get a chance to play, originated from the pine wood made benches. Now different wood and materials are used for courts and seating, but Elite Hoops decided to keep the pine wood tradition alive. This summer, the 4th annual NIKE Basketball Camp will be in Cumming, Ga at Piney Grove Middle School. The coincidentally named middle school has sold out each of the previous 3 summers. Camp will have a combination of old school work ethic with a new school style.

Elite Hoops own Michelle Manfredi will be hosting the Peachtree City NIKE Basketball Camp in July. Outside of Manfredi's great work with Elite Hoops, her resume speaks volumes. Manfredi has D1 experience as a player and coach from Niagara University. As Niagara's all time leader in minutes and games played, she helped develop players at the university on and off the court. Also, Manfredi has professional experience playing in Germany plus  individual workouts with the WNBA LA Sparks. If you think you can keep up, come to Piney Grove Middle School this summer.

The 2013 NIKE Boys Basketball Camp at Piney Grove Middle School in Cumming, Georgia will be held June 17-21, 2013. To sign up and register, please select the link below.

NIKE Basketball Camp Piney Grove click HERE