The Jefferson Parks and Recreation Department has two youth basketball camps coming up soon.

JPRD Director Denny Hammen says there is a kindergarten through sixth grade camp for both boys and girls. The girls program will be from October 23rd-24th with the kindergarten through second grade from 4-5pm and the third through sixth graders from 5-6pm. The boys program will be November 2nd, 6th and 7th for kindergarteners through second graders from 4:30-5:30pm and third through sixth graders from 5:45-6:45pm.

Hammen says both camps will teach kids about the fundamentals of basketball which are led by the respective high school varsity basketball players and coaches. The camps are followed by a league for third through sixth graders in December. Hammen talks about why JPRD continues to focus on the younger ages for different kinds of sports like basketball.

“We know that the community has the GCYAA (Greene County Youth Athletic Association) organization that works with the kids generally from the sixth grade (and) above. And they get more into the competitive side of athletics. And so, we have felt that we could probably work with the younger kids and give them those introductions (to different sports).”

The cost for either camp is $20 for Greene County Community Center members and $25 for non-members. The deadline to register for the girls camp is today and the boys camp is by October 27th. JPRD is also looking for parents to be volunteer coaches when the league starts and each child will get a t-shirt.