The township parks and recreation department is teaming up with local basketball coach Jason Mitchell to host Mitch Madness summer basketball at Bunker Hill Middle School.
Sessions will take place Monday through Thursday, June 22 to Aug. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m., and will be open to boys and girls from late elementary school to high school. Basketball players – current or aspiring – will have the chance to improve their skills in five-on-five games, open runs and workouts.
“Our number-one focus is community building,” Mitchell explained. “I want them (the kids) to work together and I’m trying to teach them to make things as easy as possible for them. You see highlights online, but those guys came from learning the fundamentals (of basketball). To do that, we also focus on basic skills.”
Mitchell spent three years as an assistant coach for the Washington Township High boys junior varsity basketball team. He is now assistant coach for Triton High’s girls basketball team and hosts other basketball clinics in the off-season, including a middle-school clinic in the spring where he helps players develop their own skills and works on his own coaching.
This year marks his second time in a Mitch Madness-like clinic.
“It’s fun,” he ackowledged. “I want to teach them, and I want them to leave with a smile. I’m learning to teach the game in different ways, while they’re learning to play.”
The reception to Mitch Madness has been positive, according to Mitchell, with both kids and parents alike praising the program.
“I remember last year,” he explained, “parents brought in cake on the last day. I get emails asking if I’m doing it again in the fall, winter and spring. I’ve heard stories that kids are disappointed if the gym is closed or if I can’t make it.”
Registration for Mitch Madness is required through the parks and recreation department at (856) 256-7903.
Jason Mitchell (second from right) will lead Washington Township’s Mitch Madness camps this summer, from June 22 to Aug. 6.
