Girls take center court at New Madrid basketball academy

NEW MADRID, Mo. - Thump, thump, thump, giggle. Thump, thump, giggle.

The basketballs went up and down - mostly. The grins were wide - always.

New Madrid County R-1 School District hosted its first ever week-long Lady Eagles Basketball Academy with hour-long sessions for girls entering first through third grade followed by girls entering fourth through sixth grades. Coach Toby Heeb was pleased with the turnout, the youngsters’ efforts and especially their smiles.

“First, I hope they just learn to enjoy playing ball and find a love for the game to where they will want to play more often,” Heeb said about the academy’s goals. “But the biggest thing is just to try to teach them some basic, fundamental skills.”

Heeb and coach Jeff Ross concentrated on the basics as the camp opened Monday. The youngest girls learned how to dribble a basketball, to toss the ball and to bounce the ball to another player.

While he urged them to watch their form and to test their skills with their right and left hands, he also sought to keep the sessions fun. If it is fun, he explained, he hopes they will continue to work on what they have learned by playing the game at home with their friends.

According to Heeb, this is the perfect age to introduce youngsters into the basics of basketball.

“If we can teach them those basic skills at an early age, they will be more advanced as they get older,” he said. “The key would be these kids coming back every year and getting a little bit better and kind of adding something to what they already know year after year.”

That will enable them to compete as they grow older, said Heeb, who coaches the Central High School girl’s basketball team.

Sitting in the stands, Misty Patterson watched as her 8-year-old daughter Kendall worked to master the drills. Patterson said while Kendall has played basketball for the past two years, the camp is an opportunity for her to learn more.

Kendall agreed, saying she learned how to bounce pass the ball. However, her favorite thing to do is shoot the ball.

She was pretty sure to be good at basketball player- like her favorite LeBron James - you have to be at least 8 years old.

Fellow camper Aaliyah Williamson prefers “Steph” Curry, who she explained is tall, much taller than she expects to grow. She is still determined to master the skills she is being taught, especially dribbling, which is her favorite thing to do on the court.

Aaliyah’s grandmother, Tammie Collins, said she hopes Aaliyah learns the fundamentals and has fun during the five days of camp.

“I think this is a great time (to start learning). Plus it gets her involved with activities outside of school in addition to learning how to be a part of a team,” Williamson said.

As the session for the older girls began, Tracy Hill took a seat in the stands to watch his daughter Jordyn take part in the camp. Jordyn, 9, already wants to play on a basketball team, he said.

Hill said he is glad the camp was offered, noting the sooner children begin learning basic skills, the more they can advanced those skills as they grow older.

Plus, he continued, the camp gives Jordyn the chance to interact with her peers from schools and meet other girls interested in basketball.

“The camp gets them out of the house,” he said. “There is so much technology and games now, I think we need to bring back more things to keep them active. I think this is a really good idea.”