TimesLeader.com

July 16
Kettel camp sets pace for learning

Trail basketball coach says instructional summer league will help build tradition for Lions

By Don McGlynn dmcglynn@theabingtonjournal.com

FACTORYVILLE - Tiger Woods has had a golf club in his hand since he was two years old. This jump on the game may be one reason he excelled. And if so, it is an example of how talent can flourish when a player is given a chance to start as early as possible.

Lackawanna Trail team member Victor Rosa, left, speeds past a defender during the instructional summer camp.

Abington Journal photo / Alice Stuffle

Jason Bamford, a member of the Our Lady of Peace team, puts a lay-up over a defender during the first week of the Lackawanna Trail instructional summer league on July 10.

Abington Journal photo / Alice Stuffle

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Lackawanna Trail’s head basketball coach Andrew Kettel is working at giving athletes a place to do just that this summer, not only so young players can get a jump at learning the basic fundamentals of the game, but to also begin building a rich basketball tradition for the Lions.

Kettel finished his first year as Trail’s head coach by leading the Lions to Lackawanna League Division III second half championship and an overall record of 16-10 for the season. Now he has taken a step to insure he will have a consistent flow of talent pouring in over the years by starting the Coach Kettel Instructional Basketball League.

The league, for sixth and seventh grade boys, began on Tuesday, July 8, and will wrap up August 9. It offers anyone interested a chance to sharpen skills during the summer months, a time of year when many players might step away from the game.

“I wanted to put something together that would get the kids playing all year long. You don’t just pick up a ball in October and expect to be on your game, it doesn’t happen that way, you have to work at it all year,” said Kettel.

The camp has attracted children from all over the area, with players from Forest City, Elk Lake, Abington and Montrose in addition to Lackawanna Trail area. Roughly 80 have already signed up, filling eight teams, which have been broken up into four sixth grade and four seventh grade teams. They play on Tuesday and Thursdays, for the next five weeks, with a clinic offered every Saturday morning at the Christy Mathewson Park in Factoryville.

“There’s a lot of camps in the area, and I think that’s great, but I think that sometimes kids could get a little burned out on camps, and I wanted to do something a little different, because in the end, the kids really just want to get out there and play with their friends. So, I designed the camp so they get to go out and play, and have coaches watching and guiding them, and then on Saturday they get proper instruction at the clinic.”

At the Saturday morning clinics, players are instructed by Kettel on the basic fundamentals of the game – passing, shooting, ball handling, agility, balance, ball movement, footwork, blocking and much more.

“No other camp or league in the area offers kids a chance to play, and this kind of instruction. It really is the only league of its kind in this area,” added Kettel.

Also offering their help and time on the sidelines will be Lackawanna Trail’s varsity team members. Varsity members are also participating in a summer league at Riverfront Sports, prior to team workouts in August, when they’ll start to prepare for their upcoming season.

“We’re a young team, but I think we can be good if we continue to work hard, and this team is willing to work hard. We just got back from a basketball camp in Villanova and we did really well going 3-2,”said coach Kettel. “We have three seniors coming back this year, Chris Loman, Jordan Schneider and Sam Cosminski. Loman and Schneider are both returning starters, so we’ll be looking to them for a lot of help this year, and they’re ready for that.”

For more information on the Lackawanna Trail boys varsity team or on Coach Kettel’s instructional camp, you can visit Kettel’s web page at www.coachkettel.com. And, even though the season has already started, the coach said that anyone interested still has a chance to sign up.

“We’ll be happy to find room for anyone who wants to be on a team,” said Kettel.

Clinics are also open to the public for a fee of $25 for one or $60 for all five.