Blazers hold youth camp

By JED LOCKETT
Bluefield Daily Telegraph

BLUEFIELD — The West Virginia Blazers were formed in part as a way to influence the community in a positive way through the game of basketball. This week, they are taking time to influence young lives throughout Four Seasons Country.

A quick lesson in poise and ball handling.

The Blazers are hosting a basketball camp this week at the Greater Bluefield Community Center. It is being led by head coach Tony Webster and several members of the Blazers and it was part of the thought process when the team was formed.

“We wanted to give back to the community and we wanted to get the community involved and just do some things with the kids,” Webster said. “The program is built on kids and building character and building kids to work hard.”

This was the first edition of the Blazers camp and it saw about 20 registrants from a cross section of the area.

“Good turnout, got kids from all over,” Webster said. “Got kids from Richlands, got kids from McDowell County, Bluefield, just got them from everywhere, Princeton and all over. So we’ve got a good mix of kids from everywhere.”

The participants ranged in age from 7 to 16. They also varied in their abilities.

“You’ve got the young ones that’s really learning the fundamentals and we’ve got some older ones that know some fundamentals but just sharpening up some of their skills,” Webster said.

“We’ve got the young ones, the 7-year olds that just learn to play the game. They don’t know exactly the right way to do things right at this point. But we’re going to teach them the right way to do it and maybe eventually they will learn the correct way and be good basketball players.”

But it did not matter how old they were. The focus remained the same.

“It’s a lot of fundamentals, dribbling, shooting, the correct way to shoot a layup, the correct way just to do fundamental things and do it the correct way and the right way,” Webster said.

“It’s a fundamentals camp. It’s a skills camp, but also to teach character and to also teach the kids the correct way and the good way to play basketball.”

Webster estimated that about half a dozen members of the Blazers will work with the kids over the camp’s duration. He acknowledged that these players can be powerful role models.

“They look up to these type of guys,” Webster said. “They are professional young men. They play professional basketball and prepare. They also have good character. They are good guys on the court and off the court and our guys look up to these type of guys.”

He also hoped that the Blazers would win over some new fans.

“We’re planning on playing some of our games here in Bluefield this year,” Webster said. “We played all of our games in Beckley last year, which we developed a pretty good fan base there.

“But we (want) to just extend this over here to the Bluefield area. So we’re trying to work with Bluefield State to play some of our games here at Bluefield State which I think will be wonderful.”

Webster gets as much satisfaction from working with these young players as he does as the head man of the Blazers.

“I love coaching,” he said. “I’ve been coaching for many years. Anytime you have a chance to benefit or help a kid, to do things and make kids productive in society, that’s what I’m all about.”

Webster hopes they can take their education on the basics of the sport back home, wherever they play.

“I hope they learn some things,” he said. “We’re going to teach them the right way to do things, the fundamental way, the correct way.

“And just to learn and be able to use them when they go back to their schools and play in their rec league and if they’re high school or middle school, if they learned some fundamentals and some things that’s going to help them when their season rolls around.”

Knowing that they will improve gives the coach more satisfaction than anything else.

“Just to see from day one to the final day, to see that they improved and good attitudes, just because basketball is a way of life also,” Webster said. “You can learn a lot from basketball ‘cause it builds character and it builds self esteem and also it builds self confidence.”

— Contact Jed Lockett

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