It’s time for the inaugural Hawaii Regional of the popular national basketball exposure camps. The camps are scheduled Feb. 11-12 for the Jr. Phenom at the Kaiser High School gym. The high school level is slated March 10-12 for the Phenom 150 at the Manoa Valley District park gyms.
The Jr. Phenom Hawaii Regional will be for boys and girls currently in the 5th to 8th grades and the Phenom 150 Hawaii Regional will be for boys and girls currently in the 9th to 12th grades. The special cost for the Hawaii Regional is $150 and each player will receive an adidas Phenom uniform, four-game guarantee, several hours of skill development, and an informative breakout sessions. (See the following website for details at www.phenomhawaii.com.)
“Each year the competition to win basketball scholarships at every level becomes more intense,” said Hawaii Regional Camp Director Kalani Silva. “Every legitimate means of gaining an edge toward securing an education and the opportunity to play at the college level is an investment in their future. Only a handful of players win D-I scholarships each year.
“It is a difficult jump from high school to college in any sport. Basketball is the most limited in terms of scholarships available. Colleges now recruit not only nationally, but internationally, so the pool of athletes searching for scholarships continues to grow.”
Using NCAA figures from their own “participation rate” study and “probability of competing beyond high school,” Silva said the NCAA estimates that 2.9 percent of high school seniors will compete at some level in college.
Silva said the regional camp concept is used around the country by Phenom Basketball to identify players to attend their National camps in the summer. All eligible players must attend a regional camp to get evaluated and qualify for their invitations to Nationals which is well attended by many college level coaches.
Silva said the camps are intense, informative, and competitive to bring out the best out of every participant to showcase their skills and talent. Eligible players this year will be boys Class 2014 to 2019 (current 5th to 10th graders). National expects to invite girls and 11th graders next year in 2013 so this year the Hawaii Regional will offer a special price to girls and 11th and 12th grade boys of $150 instead of the regular nationwide camp price of $195.
Silva said Phenom Hawaii organizers have secured the regional camps to give Hawaii youth basketball players an opportunity to showcase their skills and talent for the next level of competition. Experienced and qualified coaches will lead 10-player teams and the format of games will provide each player with equal playing time.
For added value, Silva said, each regional camp will provide quality skill development each day by some of Hawaii’s best coaches and clinicians and breakout sessions during games for players and parents with subjects to include nutrition, academic and SAT/ACT information, NCAA clearinghouse information, strength training, film sessions, and/or individual skill development training. Each breakout session will be facilitated by a coach or professional familiar with the subject matter.
“Our goal is to give value to all participants even if they do not get an invitation to Nationals,” Silva said. “They will at least go away with skill development and invaluable information to help them reach their athletic/academic aspirations through the game of basketball.”
For more information, contact Silva at (808) 557-9001 or kalani@phenomhawaii.com; or John Noland, public relations, at (808) 747-9887 or madeinhawaiitv@yahoo.com.
For more information on the adidas Jr. Phenom and Phenom 150 camps this summer, go to www.adidasjrcamp.com and www.phenom150.com.