Numbers on rise at Belou basketball camp

GLENDALE — An hour into the opening day of the second annual Coach Belou Basketball Camp, nearly 40 participants had worked up a noticeable sweat inside the Glendale High gymnasium.

Second-year Glendale boys’ basketball Coach Ib Belou saw it as a sign of progress was being made while the campers completed an agility drill before switching to a dribbling exercise.

“We try to make it a rigorous camp where they learn how to be stronger mentally and physically,” Belou said. “You focus on work ethic and leadership to having a good attitude about all of the different things dealing with the game itself.

“We start teaching the different routines and go from station to station. They pick up pointers from our staff and it’s just about instilling knowledge.”

The camp, designed for boys and girls ages 6-14, began Monday and will finish Friday with shooting, rebounding and passing also being covered. Most of the participants came from Glendale, Burbank and parts of the San Gabriel Valley.

About 30 attended the camp’s first installment. Belou, a Crescenta Valley High graduate, said there’s been an increase in attendance.

“It’s got a lot to do with it being word of mouth,” said Belou, who had previously served as an assistant at Glendale for five seasons before taking over the head coaching responsibilities. “It’s great to see more people be able to come out here and learn.

“The goal is simple and that’s to influence as many kids as possible and see them complete each drill. Then they can practice it at home or wherever.”

Surrounded by event assistants — assistant coaches and current and former Glendale players — Belou watched the participants complete their conditioning drills. The scene then focused on ball handling before a brief break in the action.

Belou, who also coached the Mark Keppel High girls’ basketball team from 2008-10 and was an assistant for the Bellarmine-Jefferson girls’ team and Moorpark College women’s program, said simplifying drills puts the campers in position to succeed.

“We can work on a defensive drill and you can see how being quick can help you,” Belou said. “If you can get a steal and then turn it into a two-on-one break, you have a great chance to score.

“At the same time, you are working on your fast-break drills and transition game.”

The camp attracted its share of returners, including Glendale resident Dro Ordubegian.

Ordubegian, 13, said all of the drills implemented in the camp serve a purpose.

“You have to go in there and learn about your skill set,” said Ordubegian, who attends Vahan and Anoush Chamlian Armenian School in La Crescenta. “I come here looking to raise my level of play.

“You have to be willing to put in the effort and it’s very cool to be able to learn from somebody like coach Belou and his assistants. He knows how to give advice on each drill to put you in better position to be successful. He does that by explaining the basics thoroughly.”

Carmen Avedian, 10, made her initial visit to the camp.

Avedian, a Glendale resident, came to the camp to hone her dribbling skills.

“I want to learn to work on dribbling behind my back,” Avedian said. “I also want to work on making layups with my left hand.

“I’ve been to some different clinics, but I think this camp will go over things I need to learn.”