Although basketball season is still four months away, 23 Cleveland high school boys and girls devoted five hours to boost their basketball skills on Wednesday by attending the Pure Intensity basketball camp.
The camp, which was held in the new gym, was operated by Pure Intensity owner Daniel Makepeace. He is also in his fifth year as varsity assistant coach for the Providence Academy (Plymouth) girls basketball team. Last year, Providence finished 32-0 and won the Class 2A state championship for the third-straight year.
The clinic focused on offense, Makepeace said.
“Ball handling stuff, finishing stuff like layups, a variety of layups, shooting stuff. We’re going at a pretty quick pace, so they have to push through without getting tired, and they have to deal with contact and physicality. You’re driving to the rim, and you get bumped and fouled. Do you shy away from contact, or do you embrace contact. All these things I think are relevant to the game.
He said the group responded well.
“This is the second year I’ve been here, and you can see the progress, so it’s been quite fun.”
More than 90 athletes who have trained at Pure Intensity have received full basketball scholarships to play in NCAA Division 1 or Division 2 schools and over 100 have played in NCAA Division 3 and NAIA levels.
Cleveland girls basketball coach Joe Remiger organized the camp.
Above: Attending the clinic were, from LR, Abel Hastings, William Zimmerman, Charles Mons, Griffin Rutz, Emma Kortuem, Adam Rain, unidentified, Harper Rutz, Brooke Bosse, Hadley Thompson, Ava Kluntz, Brylee Kortuem, Gretchen Heldberg, Kaitlyn Flowers, Taylor McCabe, Braeden Smith, Carson Lyons, Brayden Seeman, Jack Mons, Tyler Smith, Pierce Lyons, Jonathan Cink and Carson Jindra. On the left is Joe Remiger. On the right is Daniel Makepeace.
