Kingsford High kids shoot hoops at summer basketball camp

KINGSFORD, Mich. (WLUC) - A Dickinson County school brought back its basketball camp with some welcome changes.

Kids will learn to shoot, dribble and pass during Kingsford High School’s basketball camp. Coach Dan Olkkonen is the boys’ varsity basketball coach, and he has been running the camp for over 25 years.

“You always have to start young,” Olkkonen said. “That is the whole thing with basketball and the skillsets. Kids have to put the time in, but they should also be introduced to new things and learn how to do things the right way.”

Because of COVID-19, the camp was canceled in 2020 and people had to wear masks last year. Now, there are no restrictions.

“Having the kids in here without masks, without worrying, and just go through normalcy has been great,” Olkkonen said.

Olkkonen said attendance over 25 years has been consistent.

“We had a really good turnout this year. We usually have anywhere between 50 to 75 kids,” Olkkonen said. “We are up around 50 right now for our third through eighth-grade program.”

Students are split up into age groups and practice during the morning. Many players like Blake Tomasoski have been attending the camp for several years.

“I really like to play basketball and it gives me an opportunity to hang out with my friends,” Tomasoski said.

Tomasoski is going to be an eighth-grade student at Kingsford Middle School this fall. The one-week camp allows Tomasoski and his friends an opportunity to learn from role models in their community.

“They are really nice; they teach us a lot. If you do something wrong, they don’t get down on you,” said Tomasoski. “Instead, they tell you how to improve and how to get better.”

Tomasoski says he has a basketball hoop in his driveway and hopes to continue practicing what he learns this summer. Tomasoski dreams of playing varsity basketball at Kingsford, then playing in college at Michigan Tech or Michigan State.

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