Ville Platte High hosts youth basketball clinic

BY: TRACEY JAGNEAUX
Sports Editor

Boys and girls from around the parish participated in the recently held Ville Platte High School basketball clinic.
The clinic was held at the Ville Platte High gym and was staffed by boy’s head coach Tommy Jones, girl’s head coach Dot Doulet, their staffs and some of the players of both squads. The two day clinic was open to kids from second grade to eighth grade and took place from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
In the morning, participants in the clinic were shown a number of drills that focused on the fundamentals of basketball, such as shooting, dribbling, passing and defense. In the afternoon, competitive games were the focus of the clinic. Some of these included Hot Shot, shooting games and five on five scrimmages. The kids were awarded prizes for the winners of these games.
According to boy’s head coach Tommy Jones, the clinic was more than just a way to teach the fundamentals of basketball. “Our clinic gives the kids something constructive to do during the summer,” stated Jones. “It allows them to get out of the house and participate in something active. We also talk to the participants about what it takes to play sports on the high school level. We incorporate some verbal teaching on grades and how education comes first. We tell them, without the grades, they will not be eligible to play in high school.”
Jones was also very appreciative of the people that made the camp possible. “Coach Dot and her staff really made the camp special,” said Jones. “Coach Launey Coward did a fantastic job organizing the competitive games in the afternoon and Reverend Floyd Prescott, our trainer, came and showed the kids how to stretch properly. The boys and girls basketball teams took over the drills in the morning and worked hard to show the kids the proper techniques.”