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Photography by ALICE MARY HERDEN
During the summer, many kids are on vacation or involved in summer camps, and Hernando County has many opportunities for kids to continue being active while school is out.
David Pisarcik, head varsity basketball coach for Nature Coast Technical High School, has been offering a co-ed basketball camp for over ten years. The camps are held twice a year in June and July, and close to three hundred kids participate in learning a variety of basketball skills.
“We started this [camp] a long time ago,” Pisarcik said. “This gives them something to do; learn a little bit, have some fun, and become ultimately better at basketball.”
The four-day camp is held in Nature Coast Tech’s gym and guided by the Sharks’ very own basketball coaches. Each day has different drills, games, and even competitions for the kids to develop basketball skills.
Many of the kids that attend the camp start at the age of four and most return year after year. This gives coach Pisarcik, as well as the other coaches, the opportunity to see their individual growth and development.
“We like to see them develop. We can see [how] their basketball game matures,” Pisarcik remarked. “It’s a good feeling to be able to see the kids develop and go back to their high school teams and be successful.”
Along the courtside helping out are former NCT players that are there to help coach the kids and inspire them.
“We always bring back our college guys, and I think it’s a good valuable lesson,” Pisarcik said.
“They can help relay the message of- if you continue to work hard, you can reach your goals because these guys are living examples of it.”
