Why I Started Searching
My kid’s been bouncing basketballs around our driveway nonstop since school ended. She keeps begging to join a real team, so I sat down with my coffee this morning determined to find local girls basketball camps for summer 2025. Figured other parents might be scrambling too, so why not document my hunt?
Step-By-Step Process
Grabbed my phone and just typed “girls basketball camps near me 2025” first. Got overwhelmed immediately – like hundreds of listings popping up! Started noticing most were either super far away or crazy expensive. Refined my search to “community basketball programs under $200” since our budget’s tight.
Checked three main places:
- Recreation center websites: Took forever scrolling through their clunky summer activity pages
- School district bulletins: Had to dig through last year’s PDF archives for contacts
- Local parenting groups: Posted “ANY hoops camps for 10yr girls?” got 12 replies overnight
Made this spreadsheet comparing options:
- Camp dates vs our family vacation
- Drive time from our apartment
- Coach credentials (googled each name!)
- Indoor/outdoor courts (kid hates sunburns)
What Actually Worked
After three days of dead ends, finally hit gold at our YMCA branch. They added new July sessions just last week! Called the coordinator and grilled her for 20 minutes: “How many girls per coach? Any past injuries? Can we try one day free?” Made my kid do their skill assessment that afternoon. Watching her nail free throws while other parents asked me for tips? Felt like winning the damn lottery.
Final Outcome
Signed her up for the August intensive program. Cost us $175 for three weeks, 8AM-noon weekdays. Got the last spot in her age group – apparently everybody sleeps on YMCA registration until it’s too late! Now my daughter’s counting down days until camp. Me? Just thrilled I don’t have to drive an hour each way. Pro tip: ALWAYS check locker room conditions during your tour. Walked away from two places just because their bathrooms looked nasty.