Best Basketball Summer Camps
Your kid eats, breathes, and dreams basketball, and they have big dreams of making it as a student athlete and beyond. So get them signed up for a basketball summer camp that’ll help make their dreams on the court a reality!
We’ve gathered a list of some of the best basketball summer camps in Chicago and beyond so that you can get your kid the support they need to become an all-star.
Best basketball camp for kids in Chicago: Bradley Kids Basketball
With over 30,000 square feet of indoor turf and basketball court space, Bradley Fieldhouse is Chicago’s premier indoor sports facility and is well-known for its fun kid's camp activities. Now, you can take advantage of all that Bradley Fieldhouse has to offer with its Bradley Kids Basketball program!
The Bradley Kids Basketball program offers a chance for your kids to train with experienced coaches to help take their ball game to the next level. From developing the core fundamentals like dribbling, shooting, and passing, to learning how to use teamwork to their advantage by playing with a wide variety of kids, this program is designed specifically to make your child a better basketball player.
Bradley Kids Basketball programs are available for kids aged 4 through 8 years of age and take place at different times throughout the year. Click here to learn more about Bradley Kids Basketball and see if there’s a program thats’ right for you and your child.
Other basketball summer camp options
Nike Basketball Overnight Camps
For a fully immersive basketball experience, you can sign your kid up for a basketball camp run by Nike at either Elgin or Lake Forest. Your camper can choose to either do an overnight program or an extended day program, making it ideal for a variety of players, and there is also an option for a Girl’s Basketball Camp.
During this camp program, student athletes will have the opportunity to further their skills on the court, play plenty of drills, work on gameplay strategy, and more.
Breakthrough Basketball Camps
Breakthrough Basketball Camps have more than 300 locations throughout the United States and are geared for boys and girls of all ages to work on their fundamental skills and get ready for their next season.
Each multi-day camp itinerary includes a variety of drills and instruction that are ultimately meant to make your child a more accurate shooter, better teammate, and overall more well-rounded athlete. If you are concerned about the financial toll of signing your child up for a basketball camp, Breakthrough Basketball also offers scholarships for low income families with deserving children.
Why I should sign my kids up for a basketball camp
Targeted training sessions for all those fundamental skills.
The biggest benefit of signing your child up for a basketball camp is that they get a chance to practice all of the fundamentals of the game that will ultimately make them thrive during the season. With several basketball camps that target a variety of skills ranging from shooting and offensive play, defensive strategy, teamwork, and more, your child will be able to take his or her game to the next level with these intense and focused sessions, many of which run for multiple days at a time.
Insights from professionals
Your kid probably already has a coach, but signing them up for a basketball camp allows them to gain the benefits of having new points of view. Basketball camps are often run by professionals in the game who can offer critiques and pointers that their regular coach may not.
More one-on-one attention from coaches
Signing up for a basketball camp also lets your child have more attention from basketball coaches and trainers that their regular coach may not always have the time to. Since most basketball camps are created intentionally to limit the number of players each coach or trainer has, they often allow for more individualized feedback.
Opportunity to meet and play with other kids with similar ages and skill levels
Another great reason to sign your kid up for a basketball camp is that they’ll become exposed to a wider range of players than they might in their team alone. They’ll learn to drill and play with a variety of other athletes, which is a skill that they’ll take with them throughout their careers.
Tons of fun!
Improving your basketball game is hard work, but when you love the game, it doesn’t always seem like it! Signing your kids up for a basketball summer camp is a great way to let them do what they love the most while sharpening their game and having plenty of fun with their peers in the process.
Things to consider while looking for basketball camps
Ready to sign up? Here are some things you should be looking out for.
Age range
Because basketball camp programs are designed to group together student athletes of similar skill levels, many of them will have specific age range requirements. Make sure that you’re signing your kid up for the right level before making your payments.
Co-ed or boys/girls only
In addition, you may also find that basketball camps are either exclusive to boys/girls or co-ed programs. Double-check that your kid is being enrolled in the appropriate program.
Overnight or day camp
Basketball camps generally fall into one of two categories: overnight camps in which your child sleeps and eats at the facility for multiple days, or day camp options in which you drop your child off during the day and pick them up at the end. Choose the camp option that makes the most sense for your family; for example, you may prefer an overnight camp if the facility is far from your home, while a day camp generally makes more sense for local basketball camps.
Conclusion
Basketball camps are invaluable opportunities for your child to master the ins and outs of the game, improve all of their technical skills, and learn how to take their game to the next level and make their next season a great one. More importantly, they’re so much fun that they don’t even feel like hard work yet pays off in a major way!
Photo by RODNAE Productions: https://www.pexels.com/photo/kids-playing-basketball-with-their-coach-8336951/