Mini ballers have fun

NEWPORT BEACH — Five-year-old Tristen Hook could hardly stand on his own two feet. Fatigue had taken its toll on the Mini Ballers shooting champion.

After a few rounds of the shooting game “Lightning,” better known by the campers as “Bump,” Tristen stood alone, albeit exhausted.

Reaching for his sweatband to wipe his brow, Tristan felt drained. But he was learning.

The lessons came courtesy of Charlie Griffin, a 12-year-old, and his friends that helped put on the Mini Ballers Basketball Camp that started Tuesday and ended Thursday at Andersen Elementary in Newport Beach.

The camp was created for first- through third-graders with the hopes of improving the ball handling, passing, and shooting skills of all those attending.

The camp’s coaches included All-Net standouts from the Newport Beach-Costa Mesa area.

Griffin, the camp coordinator, along with his cousins Ryan (age 13) and Shannon Griffin (13), as well as Jeff Johnston (12), Bo St. Geme (12), Tyler Duncan (12), and Joey Cooper (12) made up the Mini Ballers’ coaching staff.

“My little brothers, who are in the camp, always have their friends over to play basketball,” Griffin said. “I thought to myself that I could run a summer camp for them.”

The Mini Ballers’ daily schedule included elementary drills, one-on-one competitions, and team oriented games.

Prizes were distributed daily by the coaches to deserving campers.

All-Net basketball experiences, along with participation in basketball camps in the past, have helped Charlie and his coaches develop top-notch counseling and leadership skills.

The camp’s 45 attendees, who mostly reside close to Andersen Elementary, were split into various groups and assigned a coach at the beginning of the week.

“So far, it’s been a success,” Griffin said Wednesday.

In addition to improving the skill levels of the campers in attendance, the Mini Ballers’ coaches stress having, “Tons of fun!”

In fact, on Wednesday, Coach Ryan Griffin’s group made him sprint to a cone and back in under 30 seconds as punishment for losing a round in “Lightning.”

After a short water break, Charlie Griffin resumed the camp by introducing guest-speaker Scott Brooks, an assistant coach with the NBA’s Oklahoma City franchise and a former UC Irvine standout.

The former NBA champion (1994 Houston Rockets) gave tips on ball control and dedication.

Brooks, a friend of Griffin’s family, instructed the campers to practice dribbling every day while offering tips to shorten the learning curve.

“Hard work is time and dedication,” Brooks said. “It’s good to compete against a buddy, but first compete against yourself. Just work hard, and you’ll get better.”

When Brooks asked the campers to name their favorite NBA player, he was met with an overwhelming amount of Kobe Bryant responses.

In closing, Brooks mentioned the best quality a player can have, even above skill, is the determination and commitment to get better.

After the one-and-a-half hour session, campers were eager to greet their parents and share what they had learned.

Although the camp was originally created as a three-day clinic, its success has Charlie Griffin thinking about planning more camps in the future.

KEVIN BELHUMEUR may be reached at (714) 966-4616.