MVP Basketball Camp continues to progress
BURBANK — About 30 minutes before the start of the final session of the 18th annual MVP Basketball Camp, a throng arrived early.
The camp participants each grabbed a basketball and began working on drills that had been taught to them by Mike Graceffo throughout the week.
Graceffo, the camp’s coordinator since it began in 2000, eagerly watched them complete the drills from the front entrance to the Luther Burbank Middle School gymnasium. He saw that progress had been made.
“That’s what you like to see; their ambition and love for the game and taking the extra time to go over things,” said Graceffo, a retired Burbank Parks, Recreation and Community Services coordinator who has coached multiple sports in the city for nearly 40 years. “From the first to last day of the camp, you can see their improvement. On the first day, they might be dribbling and the ball rolls off their ankle. By the end of the camp, they know exactly how to dribble while being guarded.
“It’s good when you see them come a little bit early and get warmed up. They have that positive feeling about learning and trying to make themselves better players.”
Nearly 30 participants, ages 10-14, attended the event. The camp had many returners and several newcomers, mostly from Burbank and surrounding towns like Glendale and North Hollywood, on hand who looked to hone their skills. The camp began June 25 and finished Thursday.
A wide range of drills were covered, including proper stretching to shooting to rebounding. At the end of each session, contests were also played. It gave Graceffo and his assistants an opportunity to evaluate the participants. At the end of the event, the participants were handed a certificate of participation and a personalized assessment book breaking down their strengths and areas they need to improve on.
“They have something to build on when they leave here,” said Graceffo, who conducts a similar camp in the winter and is a part-time coordinator at the Boys & Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley. “We teach them about what it’s like to be a great teammate, building their communication skills and the importance of being a good student in the classroom.
“We’ve talked about being able to make the extra pass to passing the ball out while being guarded to setting screens. We encourage them to keep practicing. There’s a lot of variety and we’ll continue to be here to teach it.”
There was plenty of information for Anthony Morse, 12, to absorb while making his fourth camp appearance.
Morse, who attends Luther, said Graceffo provides inspiration at the camp.
“He’s a great person to learn from,” Morse said. “He’ll stay with you when you are doing a drill and he’ll do everything to make you better.
“Sometimes it’s just doing the little things that can lead to something good. It starts with practicing.”
Norah Krug, who attends Jordan Middle School, made her second straight visit to the camp.
Krug, 13, said there’s room for the players to develop.
“You are learning the things that are useful,” Krug said. “It can be from shooting to rebounding to even being in the right position when you are defending.”
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
