Zargarian camp proves valuable tool for youngsters

LA CRESCENTA — As he clapped his hands and uttered the command, “Falcons,” order and silence were restored by Crescenta Valley High boys’ basketball Coach Shawn Zargarian.

In front of the 10-year veteran coach were 70 or so eager youngsters, from age ranges and skill levels that varied as widely as the kids’ rooting interests.

Some entered with jerseys from the Los Angeles Clippers, others from the newly-crowned champion Golden State Warriors, while a few donned collegiate gear from the University of Oregon, Kansas State and Duke.

Each youngster, however, had a common goal of improving his or her skills at the ninth annual Coach Z Basketball Camp, which began Monday and runs through Friday at Crescenta Valley High.

“This is an opportunity to give back to the community and also to communicate with the community,” Zargarian said. “It’s great to see kids with all different skill sets out here learning.”

Zargarian was aided by current coaches and former players on Tuesday with kids broken up into separate stations that emphasized skills such as dribbling, passing and one-on-one play.

Crescenta Valley sophomore Chris Srabian was participating in his first camp as the 15-year-old La Crescenta resident had a goal to improve on his overall skills with one specific desire in mind.

“I’m trying out for the team, so this is a good chance to get better,” Srabian said. “I really want to improve on my ball-handling.”

For 13-year-old Charlie Meyer, Zargarian’s camp provided an opportunity for the Rosemont Middle School student to follow in his brother’s footsteps.

“My brother Max came here before and he liked it, so I decided to come,” said Meyer, who is back for his second year. “I really want to work on my ball-handling, but it’s great to be out here working on different things, too.”

Family was indeed central and on center court at Zargarian’s camp as the coach’s son, Vaughn, and niece, Lucia Arzoumanian, were perhaps the two most well-known players.

“I’m used to my dad giving me instructions,” said Vaughn, an aspiring point guard. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s really tough, too.”

When asked about the most rigorous part of the camp, Vaughn Zargarian did not hesitate to speak his mind.

“Oh, the stretching,” Vaughn said. “That’s the worst.”

As for Arzoumanian, the 9-year-old La Crescenta resident was already a winner by just competing, as the youngster was one of only two girls to participate.

“It’s fun and you learn a lot,” said Arzoumanian, whose talent and skill was so refined that perhaps her biggest obstacle was keeping her French braid from swinging across her shoulders and into her shot.

When asked if she had some moves to show off to her uncle, Arzoumanian shook her head no.

“He sees me playing in the back yard,” said Arzoumanian, who listed Michael Jordan as her favorite player and North Carolina as her dream school. “He knows what I can do.”

While skills and drills were an important part of the camp, Zargarian also stressed proper stretching, teamwork and the importance of paying attention.

“I know those things are boring, but they’re also very important,” Zargarian said. “That’s what I want the kids to get down. Everyone watches the pro game and wants to hit threes and do other things, which is fine, but you have to also get the fundamentals down.”

Learning wasn’t strictly reserved for camp-goers, though.

Crescenta Valley junior David Heckmann took pride in running one of the drills and found himself the beneficiary of a new skill.

“This is all about learning leadership for me,” said Heckmann, 16. “I work with the kids, show them what I learned and then they teach me and help me become a better leader.”

At the conclusion of a one-on-one drill, Zargarian claps his hands as do his coaches, who all yell out “Falcons.”

The camp-goers then stop, listen and anticipate their next set of instructions.

“It doesn’t get more basic than this,” Zargarian said. “The kids have a lot of energy and they can’t wait to go. As a coach, you love it and you want to work