One thing that came out of the recent 'Summer Ball Basketball Camp' that took place from Unity Comprehensive High School, was that at least one of the campers came home wishing the fun days of drills, skills, and scrimmages were available all summer long in the West Central community.
The camp was hosted from July 5-8 by Unity's own Zenon Orobko, and his friend and key piece to the weekend in 2022 University of Regina Female Rookie of the Year Jade Belmore. An impressive talent to learn from for local attendees as Belmore was also Basketball Sask's Ms.Basketball in 2020. The coaches accolades don't stop there as Belmore also won 2022 Canada West Rookie of the Year, along with being named a USPORT First Team All Rookie selection.
Orokbo's experience as a coach and player coming into the camp comes from his time with Luther College as an assistant coach, after his stint as a 2020 Basketball Sask All-Star and UCHS Warriors basketball alumni.
Orobko (first coach on the right) posing with the older and larger of the two groups from this past weekend in Unity (Photo via Zenon Orobko)The camp ended up with 27 participants after two injuries, and it was a good mix of competition for everyone involved. Being able to bring skills training to the level that was present in Unity last week was a dream come true of sorts for Orobko, who had tossed the idea around in the past, and can only imagine how he would have felt with the same opportunity when he was a camper's age.
"Basically we were watching my sisters team play at provincials and the idea just kind of came out. Whether it was our principal or my mom or mine or Jade, I don't even remember honestly, but we decided to just make it happen," started Orobko, "I think one of the biggest things for me was that it's something that never really occurred in Unity. When I was a kid it happened once or twice, but it wasn't anything too formal or like throughout the whole week, and that's kind of what we wanted to start. Something that we could continue for years to come."
Orobko shared how he had to travel to the city for enhanced basketball training, so the new opportunity in Unity should make for a perfect scenario for locals, as well as athletes from surrounding area.
"When I played (in high school) you had to travel to either like Saskatoon or Lloyd to get that high level of training, and even just to have a camp put on," said Orobko.
He then shared where the participants came from to make for the true camp atmosphere.
"We had kids from Unity, Cut Knife, Meota, and then Stettler, Alberta too. Mostly Unity kids, but a couple from all over which kind of helps the mix and the true camp experience sort of thing."
The school's courts were busy with skills and drills from 12:00-4:00 pm daily between the different groups, and then on Wednesday and Thursday night there were scrimmages held at the gym from 7-9 for campers to get out and show what they had learned.
The successful week had many young athletes coming home each night happy, and the one comment on how it should be on all summer long certainly has to be enough fuel to begin planning next summer's event. Orobko and company certainly hope it becomes a yearly thing, and now have a year under their belts teaching basketball to the next generation of players.
Wed, May 22, 9:00 AM
