Okay let me walk you through how I figured out this whole elite basketball camp thing for my kid this summer. Seriously, felt like climbing a mountain blindfolded at first.
Starting Point: Total Information Overload
First thing I did? Hit the damn internet. Typed in “elite basketball camps 2025” and boom! A billion options popped up. Felt like walking into a giant sports store and getting lost. Nike camps, Adidas camps, university camps, private trainer camps… names I’d never even heard of. My eyes started glazing over after like 10 minutes. How do you even start comparing these things?
Getting Brutally Honest About My Kid
Sat down with a cold drink, forced myself to forget all the flashy camp websites. Had to get real. What did MY kid actually need? Not the imaginary super-athlete some camp ad showed.
- Skill Level? He’s good on his school team, makes varsity as a sophomore, but he ain’t gonna be scouted by D1 scouts tomorrow. Needs next-level training, not baby basics.
- Position Focus? He’s a point guard, man! Needs ball handling under pressure, court vision drills, finishing at the rim against taller guys. Useless for him to be stuck in a camp focused only on big men stuff.
- Goals? Just wants to dominate his high school league, maybe get looked at by decent D3 programs eventually. Not chasing NBA dreams (yet!).
- Weaknesses? Left hand dribble? Kinda trash. Defense? Needs way more intensity. Conditioning? Fades in the 4th quarter.
Wrote this all down on an actual piece of paper. Felt like therapy.
The Painful Filtering Process
Armed with my “Kid Reality Check” list, I dove back into the camp mess. This time I was ruthless.
- Click on a camp site.
- Scan the “For Whom” section. See phrases like “D1 prospects” or “national recruits”? Immediately close the tab. Not for us.
- Check the curriculum details. Look for specifics on guard skills, ball-handling under pressure drills, pick-and-roll sets. If it just says “fundamentals” and “scrimmages,” close the tab. Too vague.
- Stared hard at the coach list. Recognizable name? Great! But then I dug deeper – Is this former pro actually gonna be on the court coaching drills all day? Or just showing up for a photo op and signing stuff? Found some camps where the big names were listed, but fine print said “guest appearances only.” Next!
Cost & Logistics: The Gut Punch
Okay, narrowed it down to maybe five camps that seemed promising based on skill fit. Felt good! Then I looked at the damn prices. Oof.
One camp? Awesome curriculum, legit coaches listed… $2,500 for a 5-day sleepaway camp. Plus airfare! That’s a damn vacation right there. Another one? Perfect fit, coaches looked real, but located across three time zones. Flights were insane. My budget started sweating bullets.
Then there was timing. One perfect camp overlapped with our dang family reunion. Grandma would murder me. Another started literally the day after school ended – kid would be wiped out before even hitting the court. Felt like playing Tetris with a schedule.
The Research Grind (Beyond the Glossy Brochure)
For the maybe three camps left that fit skill AND kinda fit budget AND kinda fit schedule, I got down to the nitty-gritty.
- Instagram Stalking: Seriously. Searched the camp names. Not their official page (all highlight reels), but looked for posts by past campers. Found some kids tagging the camp in their stories. Saw some clips of drills. Looked intense! Also saw a few complaints about stuff like “food was terrible” or “dorms were super old.” Not dealbreakers, but noted.
- Coach Vetting: Found the specific head trainer listed for the camp session we could attend. Googled their name + “basketball drills” or “coaching.” Found some YouTube videos they put out. Could I see this dude/gal actually teaching my kid? Yeah, their demos looked solid, explained things clearly. Helped.
- Picked up the Damn Phone: Called the camp director. Asked real questions: “Exactly how many hours a day is on-court instruction?” (Some camps pad with “film sessions” or team meetings which might be fine, but I wanted actual court time). “What’s the typical coach-to-camper ratio?” “For guards, what specific drills focus on weak-hand handling?” If the person couldn’t answer clearly or sounded like a sales pitch, big red flag. One guy actually gave me super detailed answers about guard-specific breakdowns they do. Sold.
The “Aha!” Moment & Booking
After a couple weeks of this chaos, one camp stood out. It wasn’t the fanciest name. Didn’t have any NBA legends “headlining.” But:
- Curriculum was point guard specific, listed actual drills by name.
- Head trainer had a clear track record posting guards to better schools and I found real footage of them coaching.
- Call with the director felt like talking to a coach, not a salesman. Straight shooter.
- Price was still steep ($1500), but shorter drive so saved on flights, and timing worked with our summer job schedule.
- Found video online showing the actual gyms – looked clean and well-maintained.
Compared to others, it just clicked. Felt less like a gamble. Pulled the trigger, booked it, paid the deposit. Still hurts the wallet, but feels like real money spent on real development, not just hype.
The Big Lesson (So Far)
You gotta filter out the noise. All the “Elite” “Premier” “Pros” labels mean squat without matching your kid’s specific needs. Forget the celebrity names unless they’re actually coaching the drills. Be that annoying parent that asks for details. It’s your cash, your kid’s time and sweat. Worth digging past the shiny surface.