(Ottawa, Ont.) Wheelchair Basketball Canada has partnered with its provincial sports organizations (PSOs) to host U19 high performance camps across Canada. The first camp will be hosted by the BC Wheelchair Basketball Society in Langley, B.C., from February 5-8, 2016. The camp features on-court training, strength and conditioning testing, and information sessions designed to help developing athletes improve on technical skills.
The talent identification camps were previously hosted exclusively at the National Academy in Toronto, Ont. Expanding the reach of the camps to additional provinces will increase player participation and provide an opportunity to improve the consistency and quality of instruction amongst coaches in Canada.
“We are really excited to take the high performance camps we have developed and move them from our National Academy to the provinces,” said Wheelchair Basketball Canada High Performance Director Mike Frogley. “By doing this, we will reach a great many more athletes, work more closely with the PSOs and really help to grow wheelchair basketball across high performance and across Canada.”
“By doing this, we will reach a great many more athletes, work more closely with the PSOs and really help to grow wheelchair basketball across high performance and across Canada.”
The U19 camps are open to male and female athletes 12-18 years old who demonstrate the potential to join the National Academy in the years to come. They are designed for athletes in the Learn to Train and Train to Train (phase 1) stages of the wheelchair basketball Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model.
“Essentially, this is a fantastic opportunity for our young athletes. It is the first year of our Canada Games quadrennial, so our focus is really on identifying young players and developing their fundamental skills,” said BC Wheelchair Basketball Society Provincial Coach, Simon Cass. “Getting an opportunity to learn about being an athlete, both on and off the court, from someone like Mike Frogley is very special and I hope will inspire all of our players as they go forward with their careers.”
Athletes attending the camp will have the opportunity to train and receive instruction from National Academy staff, such as Frogley, the Academy Director, as well as national athletes. Bo Hedges, Team Canada player and co-captain will be instructing off court sessions at the camp in Langley, B.C.
“I am always excited for an opportunity to help out and give back to the sport. Going out to B.C. to see familiar faces and see how all the young talented kids are doing is great. It’s a lot of fun to see them develop over the years and have an opportunity to help them improve,” said Hedges.
Upcoming U19 high performance camps:
About the National Academy
The Wheelchair Basketball Canada National Academy is the world’s first full-time, year-round, daily training environment for high performance wheelchair basketball athletes.
About Wheelchair Basketball Canada
Wheelchair Basketball Canada is the national sports governing body responsible for the organization of the sport in Canada. It is a non-profit, charitable organization that is committed to excellence in the development, support and promotion of wheelchair basketball programs and services for all Canadians from grassroots to high performance. Wheelchair basketball is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, competitive sport in which Canada is held in high esteem around the world for winning a combined six gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in the last six Paralympic Games.