With 130 members venturing into the confines of the self-proclaimed “House That Roars” inside the Lake High School gym, it was a week full of lessons learned not just about basketball, but away from the 94-foot surface regarding academics and decision making as well.

Under the tutelage of soon-to-be 10th year head coach Tom McBride, athletes ranging from second grade to ninth took part in the four-day camp which was conducted by McBride and his Lake High staff along with current players.

In the nine years of running the camp, the numbers have risen to respectable proportions. The 130 members  broke a record for the most campers.

The fact six of them are sons of three coaches and it validates the commitment athletes have of one day taking the floor as Blue Streaks.

“I think our hard work is starting to pay off,” said McBride. “We have young athletes that are playing in leagues and are representing Lake. This is a combination of good support from parents and athletes who work hard.”

This camp also teaches how to not only play and win with class, but to lose with class as well.

Scott Cassidy, a 1996 graduate of Minerva High School and junior varsity head coach knows all about the aspects of having fun. He vividly remembered his days as a basketball camper and knows exactly what they will be going through.

Cassidy has been a member of the Lake staff for the last seven years while maintaining a day job as a seventh grade science teacher at Lake Middle School.

“The biggest thing about this camp is about having fun and you want to make the most of it,” Cassidy said. “You want to work hard and have fun and enjoy the lessons taught to you. First you want to master the fundamentals and second, you also want to have fun.”

Basic skills taught at the Lake High School camp included ball handling, free throw shooting, defensive stances, taking charges and form shooting.

Various competitions included the hot shot competition, one-on-one games, three-on-three tournaments and the dreaded but entertaining neck-in-the-noose, where a player had to make a free throw under intense but critical game-like conditions.

If an athlete made a free throw, they remained in the challenge. If they missed, their only salvation would be for the opposing shooter to miss or face elimination.
This kind of game situation can define a free throw shooter and whether he can stay composed or be rattled.

“That right there is a situation of do-or-die. When it is close to the end of the game, you have to be able to make those kind of shots. You can’t find a better drill than this one,” Spotleson said.

“But at the same time, that lets you know that the game is never over until there are zeroes on the clock and anything can happen.”

Freshman coach Mike Stadulis,  is no stranger to success. Last season, his team ascended to the pinnacle of the Federal League by winning the freshman tournament crown having obtained 16 wins in 20 games.

In his sixth year at Lake and fifth as the freshman head coach, Stadulis can take a very solid look at which players will have the best chance of representing Lake. He pointed to last year’s camp as an example that set the tone for his freshmen winning the title.
“We were the deepest team in the tournament and even though we came across some key injuries in the season, we made it all the way,” he said. “Every player I have coached has gone through this camp and we also get a chance to see some potential freshmen who will be playing for Lake.”

Aside from the basketball stance, Lake standout guard Allen Meffan, the team’s top defensive stalwart, spoke to campers about the importance of academic success and staying strong through arduous times.

Meffan played major roles in dominating wins over Jackson, North Canton Hoover and Canton McKinley. Also, he was part of the team’s academic prowess. The team altogether boasted a cumulative grade point average of 3.46, the highest out of all boys’ sports at Lake.

“Grades are definitely important and you want to be eligible. A good work ethic in the classroom will help you on the court,” he told campers. “You also have to make the right decisions also on the court and off the court.”

This camp also had a venerable meaning for McBride for family reasons. Also coaching the camp was his nephew Kyle McBride, a 2006 alumnus of Central Catholic and current quarterback on the Waynesburg College football team.

In addition to that, Tom got a chance to be around his two sons Jake and Joe. Being in a high profile position as head coach, there are times McBride hasn’t been with them much. With the 2007-08 school year concluded, it leaves most of the summer to him and his sons. He credited his devoted wife Melissa for everything she has done with them during the season.

“My wife is a saint for everything she has done for them. She played a sport as well and just as much as a factor as a teacher,” he said. “Being a teacher, my wife works as an accountant, this is my time with the kids. I get the hugs and kisses and that’s a victory for me.”

When everything is said and done, campers will part ways but always etched in the memory of Coach McBride. Others will partake in summer leagues while others will go to the backyard to polish their newly learned skills. Even though basketball season is six months away, McBride said it is never too early to get a start on the new season by working out and rehashing fundamentals.

A lot of that is a testament to the commitment the athletes and parents have put in commencing back in the month of March.

“If you do things the right way, people will show their support. It starts by getting everyone rosters and information out to the community,” McBride said.

He also left a key note of advice for future campers who plan on joining the 10th camp next June.

“Number one, you have to work hard. Number two, you must be coachable. And number three, you have to put in the off-season work because you will not have it just showing up,” McBride said.