The Troy Recreation Center will host the 10th annual Summer Basketball Camp next month.

Charles Henderson Middle School head coach and Camp Director Justin Cope will lead the camp that normally has about 100 participants. The camp will run from July 23 until July 27.

“I am very excited every year for this camp,” Cope said. “I get asked year-round when this camp will be. The kids are excited and the parents are excited. This is good for the kids because they learn about things other than basketball, but it’s a good way for kids to develop in basketball.”
The excitement of the youth is one of the things that has drawn Cope to continue the camp for the last 10 years.

“It’s a great feeling,” Cope said. “It lets me know that the camp is benefiting the community and the kids.”

When Cope started the camp, he didn’t expect the camp to still be running 10 years later.

“When I started it 10 years ago, a parent put it in my mind that I should start a camp,” Cope said. “Every year it just grows and grows. One year we had 101 kids and it grows from there.”

Cope didn’t confirm that he has something special officially planned for the 10-year anniversary, but it is something he is thinking about.

“We are going to try and surprise the kids with something,” Cope said. “I am trying to think of some ideas and we have had some parents throw some ideas at me. We will do drills and have some speakers talk with the kids.”

Registration for the camp will began June 14 at the Troy Recreation Center. The camp will cost $30 per child and it will run from 8 a.m. until Noon.