by Scott Sacry
Our neighbors in the Bitterroot Valley have led rich lives and bring a lifetime of skills and insight to our community. And we are lucky when they share these gifts. Frank McCarthy is a great example of this. McCarthy began coaching basketball in 1979 at the St. Labre Indian School, then coached MSU-Billings for 10 years, MSU for two years, then spent the last 16 years of his career at Sheridan College in Wyoming. From there his family moved to the Bitterroot Valley.
McCarthy has taken this lifetime of basketball knowledge and applied it toward the McCarthy Ball Camp, which was held July 18th-21st in Corvallis for boys and girls from kindergarten to 9th grade. This was the second year for the camp and McCarthy feels it was a great success, “We had 175 total campers,” said McCarthy, “and we have had great feedback from the participants.” Putting on basketball camps comes with the territory for coaches. “I was just thinking about it,” said McCarthy, “I’ve been putting on basketball camps for over 40 years.”
At the end of the day, sports teach us life lessons and hopefully make those who participate better people. “I love the x’s and o’s of basketball,” said McCarthy, “but I’m also drawn to the life lessons it teaches. In the camp, we talk about goal setting, listening, manners, and dreaming big. For example, we discuss the proper way to shake someone’s hand – some kids have never been taught this.”
On July 27th the campers got a rare treat. Mike Doleac, a 10 year NBA player, spoke to the camps and took questions. Doleac moved to the Bitterroot Valley in 2020 and his talk emphasized the importance of knowing your role on a team, and, by extension, excelling in your role in life. In his own journey, Doleac was a star player and a benchwarmer and everything in between. Throughout it all, excelling at his given role was paramount for success. The kids seemed awed to hear him speak, asking him if he played with Michael Jordan and Lebron James. One boy asked if he played with Bill Russell? “I’m old, but not that old,” said Doleac.
McCarthy is quick to credit others for the success of the camp. “The Corvallis school was gracious enough to let us use their gyms,” said McCarthy. “We have some great sponsors to keep the cost down, like Tire Rama, Big Sky Eyecare, Carroll Ortho, Mildenberger Motors, Holiday Inn, and Michele Meehan Dentistry. And of course our coaches did a fabulous job teaching and creating a positive environment.”
Leave a Reply