Does Basketball Camp Improve Teamwork Skills?

Suppose you've ever played a team sport you know sometimes just how difficult it can be to work as a group. Even the best teams can have their issues both on and off the court as the drama can quickly unfold, especially in those younger years of middle school and high school. While this is normal, coaches will spend extra time and dedicate resources to help make their teams cohesive. One such method is a camp. 

Let's take basketball camp for example. Basketball is a huge team sport. If your team does not get along or learn how to play as a unit, you will lose every game. Even if you have one or two standout players, they can take you far, but they will only be able to bring you some of the way. (Just ask Michael Jordan or Lebron James). Therefore, coaches will often send their players to a basketball camp to learn how to become better teammates, or they will host their own camp.

So, how exactly does a basketball camp improve teamwork skills? Well, through many different ways. The first is that it forces the players together away from everything comfortable. Camps are often an overnight experience for several nights in a row. And sometimes even several weeks. During this time, these players are away from everything they know and only have each other to lean on. Technology is often banned as the coaches want their players to unplug and focus on honing their athletic ability and learning to communicate better.

Another way basketball camp helps improve teamwork is that you learn how to work together as a team the entire time you're at camp. From the time you wake up in the morning until you lay your head on your pillow at night, your coaches are having you run drills together, work together, eat together, break out sessions together, and bunk in the same dorm together. You rarely spend time apart, forcing players to get to know each other and allowing for stressful situations to arise to learn how to handle inner turmoil within the group properly.

Basketball camp also teaches the players how to be better athletes overall. And when your team gets better overall, your chance of winning increases tremendously. Plus, the hours you spend on a court help you learn how your teammates play the game and anticipate what they will do given any situation that arises when a game is being played. For example, does your teammate turn right or left when blocked? Do they go for the three-point shot every chance they get, or will they charge the net? These are things players will learn about each other as they spend time in close proximity playing hours together during these camp sessions. 

Basketball camp also can help to improve your relationship with your coaches. After all, they will be your guardians while you're away from home, and you will be reliant upon them to lead you, guide you, and look out for your well-being in many ways. Trust and bonds can be formed with your coaches at camp in a way that they would not if you had normal practice. And when the coach-to-player relationship is strong, statistically speaking, you have a better chance of winning your games.

All in all, if you are looking to improve your team's ability to work together, consider putting together a basketball camp and watch the higher team start to click and win as a unit.