Falls Church High School Basketball Camp Grooming Young Players

Young basketball players throughout Falls Church are at Falls Church High School this week working on their skills with Jaguars’ head varsity basketball coach T.C. Papageorge and his assistant coaches and players.

The camp is now in its’ fifth year after taking a hiatus for several summers. Papageorge wants to make sure the young players are getting an experience that is very similar to what his players go through at the varsity level.

“This isn’t a camp where we just roll out the ball and let them play pickup games all day,” said Papageorge as the camp came to a close Tuesday afternoon. “We do the same drills and practice routines that they would be doing at the high school level. I want them to have fun, but also understand how hard you need to work to get better as a basketball player.”

After finishing the 2011 season 7-18 with a tough loss in the first round of the Northern Region tournament at South Lakes High School, the coach and his players are looking for improvement next season. Although it is July and high school basketball seems eons away, coach Papageorge has one date already circled for next season, when the Jaguars face Jeb Stuart HS and one of his former assistant coaches who is now coaching there.

The camp separates older and younger players into two gyms, with older players gracing the same floor that the varsity teams take on Friday and Tuesday nights from December to February.

Friday the campers will have a little fun with the game they love, as the coaches bring out adjustable rims and host an NBA All Star weekend style dunk contest complete with judges and scores.

“If you can get guys to retain some of the fundamentals we work on here at camp, they will be better prepared once they enter the high school game,” said Papageorge. “Summer is an important time for them to improve their games as individuals.”