June 18, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; June 18, 2009 - Coming off a school-record 27-win season and the program's first-ever national tournament title in the 2009 NIT, the Nittany Lion basketball program has seen a marked increase in interest in its summer camp program led by 2009 Big Ten Coach of the Year Ed DeChellis.
Nowhere is that interest more evident than in the tremendous growth of the Nittany Lion Team Camp to be held June 18-20 on the Penn State Campus. A record 70 teams from across the Northeast are on tap to attend with more than 700 regional players and coaches set to compete in the Bryce Jordan Center and other campus facilities.
"The interest in our summer camp programs this year has really been tremendous," DeChellis said. "We are really looking forward to having a great number of quality teams and players from the Northeast on campus in the coming weeks and having the opportunity for them to compete in our terrific facilities and learn from a tremendous group of coaches."
Teams from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia and New York will take part in the 2009 Team Camp, the second five camp options offered by the Nittany Lion program this summer. Other camps include a new Advanced Skills Camp (June 20-21), Instructional Camp (June 27-30) and a Day Camp (June 29-July 2).
Registrations for Penn State basketball camps are now being accepted. Participants can register on-line at www.PSUSPORTCAMPS.org or can call for more information at 814-865-0561.
The Team Camp is designed to provide junior varsity, varsity, and/or club teams with the opportunity to train and compete under the direction and guidance of an outstanding coaching staff. Each team will have tactical training sessions, technical pressure training and daily competitions. Teams must send a minimum of eight players and a maximum of 12.
The Advanced Skills Camp is for high level players looking for a challenge and the opportunity to advance their skills and knowledge of the game against similar level athletes.
The Instructional Camp is for students entering grades six through 12 next fall and is designed to develop the total basketball player. Campers receive detailed instructions about ball handling, passing, dribbling, footwork, defense and rebounding. Each camper participates in league games as well as a variety of individual competitions.
The Day Camp is open to boys entering grades two through eight next fall. The camp focuses on fundamentals of the game and emphasizes team play through drills and live game situations. Workouts are scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Wednesday, and 9:00 a.m. to noon on Thursday. Campers are asked to bring lunches each day, drinks will be provided.
All Penn State basketball camps are held on the University Park campus with campers housed in University residence halls and supervised by camp counselors.
Nittany Lion head coach Ed DeChellis, in his sixth season at Penn State, and his staff, which includes former long-time head coach Kurt Kanaskie, former Notre Dame and Florida assistant Lewis Preston and former Nittany Lion standout player Dan Earl, are actively involved in all camps. DeChellis has 13 years of experience as a collegiate head coach and as a two-time Southern Conference Coach of the Year while at East Tennessee State. Kansaskie, in his sixth season at Penn State, has 18 years of experience as a head coach, including seven years at Drake University, and was an All-Big Five player at LaSalle. Preston was a two-time All-Southern Conference selection at VMI and spent six seasons at Notre Dame and two at Florida, where he helped guide the Gators to the 2007 NCAA title, before coming to Penn State. Earl ranks among the best players ever at Penn State posting 1,256 career points and 574 assists while twice earning All-Big Ten honors and leading Penn State to a top 10 national ranking.
-NITTANY LIONS-