Basketball camp helps athletes develop sports, life skills

by Scott Sacry

Summer is the time for camps in the Bitterroot Valley – especially sports camps. One of the best in the valley is the McCarthy Basketball Camp, which was held in Stevensville on July 17-20. The camp is for boys and girls entering K-9th grade and is in its 3rd year.

“We had a great turnout this year, “said the camp’s founder, Frank McCarthy. “We had 167 total campers and they were such a great group of kids!” 

As most parents know, summer camps can be expensive. But McCarthy feels it is important to keep the cost as affordable as possible. The cost of the McCarthy Basketball Camp for four days of instruction was only $75, and the campers received a water bottle, a camp t-shirt, and a basketball, and, more importantly, they learned important basketball and life skills.

Frank 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 wanted his campers to come away with better basketball skills, while also learning valuable life skills. Campers practiced basketball fundamentals like shooting, passing, jump stops, defensive, and rebounding. They also learned the importance of looking someone in the eye, making a good handshake, and having good manners. They learned the importance of having a good attitude, practicing gratitude, and pursuing your goals and dreams. 

At its best, sports makes athletes better overall people. The top coaches make this connection. This is the connection that McCarthy teaches in his camps.

On July 19th the campers got a treat. Mike Doleac, a 10-year NBA player and Bitterroot Valley resident, spoke to the campers and took questions. Doleac’s 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 campers seemed awed to hear him speak.

McCarthy is quick to credit others for the success of the camp.

“The Stevensville school district was gracious enough to host the camp and the facilities were amazing,” said McCarthy. “I’m especially thankful to Clayton Curley for all his help. We have some great sponsors to keep the cost down, like Donaldson Bros, Tire Rama, Albertsons, Big Sky Eyecare, Carroll Ortho, and Michele Meehan Dentistry. And as always we had a great group of coaches who did a fabulous job teaching and creating a positive environment for the kids.”