Taking a look down the rosters of both the Douglas High boys' and girls' basketball programs this season, a common thread seemed to link everyone involved.
Nearly every player on the roster at one point or another attended the annual Douglas High Tiger Basketball Camp for at least one year while growing up in Carson Valley.
"It just comes with growing up around here," said Douglas girls' coach Werner Christen, who has directed the camp with Andy Hughes for the last 23 years. "You look at this year's varsity and junior varsity teams and there wasn't a single one who grew up here who didn't participate in the camps.
"It's a good camp. We have strong clinicians and the games are always competitive."
Indeed, this year's list of clinicians includes Christen, Hughes, boys' coach Corey Thacker, former Tiger standout Rosi Contri and Aubrey McCreary, who in recent years has been working as an NBA player development specialist. He's trained the likes of Derek Fisher and Paul Millsap in the last two seasons.
"We spend a lot of time on the fundamentals, but we have a lot of fun too," Christen said. "We run a lot of contests and play a lot of games to make things interesting and we have seen a lot of really great kids come through the program.
"The kids are always tired and happy at the end of the day."
In past seasons, former Nevada stars Nick Fazekas and Garry Hill-Thomas were guest clinicians.
This year's camp will run from June 17 to 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost is $115 for those who register before June 2 and $125 after that. Registration will be taken at the door. All of the proceeds from the camp will go toward the boys' and girls' basketball programs at the school to help with tournament travel, etc.
The camp is open to boys and girls that will be second- through seventh-graders heading into the fall 2008 semester.
Registration forms are available at the Douglas County Parks & Recreation Department, The Record-Courier, Big Daddy's bicycle shop and the Tiger Cage at the high school.
Forms should be sent to Tiger Basketball, Douglas High School, attn.: Corey Thacker, P.O. Box 1888, Minden, NV, 89423.
For more information, call (775) 934-3390 or 782-9027.
