Big Turnout For Mike Trader Basketball Camp in Sidney

MIKE MOTZ

Sidney Sun-Telegraph

SIDNEY--June 3 through June 6, the annual Mike Trader Basketball Camp came to Sidney High School and instructed area youngsters in the fundamentals of basketball and prepared these youths for successful basketball careers as they play through middle school and into high school. The Mike Trader Basketball Camp is one of the most well-respected basketball instructional programs in the country. In addition to Mike Trader, who has been affiliated with the camp since 1974 and has coached thousands of campers over the past 50 years, the camp featured expert coaching from Larry Ribble, Bill Gavers, James Lowry, and All-American and Player of the Year with the University of Nebraska Wesleyan, Trey Bardsley.

Campers from around the Panhandle area and some parts of Wyoming, came to Sidney for the three-day experience. The camp included supervised league games, digitally recorded shot analysis, and individual skill testing and instruction. All of the campers left with a written off-season workout program. At the end of the camp, outstanding participants received awards for their excellent performances.

For the boys, the Most Valuable Camper Awards went to:

• Boys Major League - Aiden Mitchell, Cheyenne, WY and Zack Roberts, Sidney

• Boys Red League - Myles Faessler, Sidney

• Boys Minor League - Kade Knobbe, Sidney

• Boys Midget League - Sam Plummbe, Sidney

For the girls, the Most Valuable Camper Awards went to:

• Girls Major League - Auvi Cranmore, Sidney

• Girls Red League - Harper Misegadis, Lodgepole

• Girls Minor League - Auria Schumacher, Sidney

• Girls Midget League - Kenalee Schrader, Sidney

The boys Hustle Award winners are:

• Boys Major League - Owen Narjes, Sidney

• Boys Red League - Brendan Alvarado, Sidney

• Boys Minor League - Hudson Santero, Sidney; Maddox Wiedeman, Gering

• Boys Midget League - Kort Knobbe, Sidney

The girls Hustle Award winners are:

• Girls Major League - Kenzie Shoemaker, Potter

• Girls Red League - Aspyne Houser, Sidney

• Girls Minor League - Kinsey Haas, Sidney; Cwen Bondegard, Sidney

• Girls Midget League - Macy Schneider, Sidney; Kaelynn Meier, Sidney

The boys Jump Shot Champions are:

• Boys Major League - Corbin Bondegard, Sidney; Aiden Mitchell, Cheyenne, Wy

• Boys Red League - Myles Faessler, Sidney

• Boys Minor League - Ryder Raffleson, Peetz, Co

• Boys Midget League - Sam Plummer, Sidney;

The girls Jump Shot Champions are:

• Girls Major League - Auvi Cranmore, Sidney

• Girls Red League - Nora Jensen, Sidney

• Girls Minor League - Cwen Bondegard, Sidney

• Girls Midget League - Kenalee Schrader, Sidney

After the camp, Mike Trader said, “The Sun-Telegraph and the coaches all got the word out, and we had a great turnout. There are a lot of good young players in this area. I believe we had 137 kids, all from around the Panhandle area, plus some from Colorado and Wyoming. We hoped for about 100 kids for our first time in Sidney, but we exceeded expectations. We all spoke last night, and if they let us, we’ll be returning next year.”

The Sun-Telegraph interviewed one of the Boys Most Valuable Camper award winners, Zack Roberts, at the end of the awards presentation. It was his third time attending the Mike Trader Camp, and he was in the Major League division. Describing his style of play, Zack said, “I like just driving to the basket, and dishing the ball off. Sometimes I’ll step back and shoot, but I like driving the lane, and I also like passing and getting assists.”

When asked who his favorite basketball player is, Zack said, “Well, for right now it’s Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves, but that can change.”

Look for players like Zack to make a big impact here in Sidney when they step up to the High School team in the coming years. Sidney’s traditionally strong performances in basketball are rooted in good coaching from elementary school through middle school, and area players attending instructional camps with solid coaches like the Mike Trader Camp.