Joe's Camp

Bantam Elite Basketball Camp - Est. 2000

About Joe’s Camp

Joe’s Camp is a non-profit bantam elite basketball camp held every August in Bedford, Nova Scotia.  Each year, 40 of the top 11-13-year-old players in Nova Scotia are invited to attend.  Attendance is by invitation only.  The mission of Joe’s Camp is to provide a high quality elite camp that does not exclude any players based on their financial situation.  Keeping the registration fee extremely low is a key aspect of Joe’s Camp. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe’s Camp hasn’t changed very much since the first camp in 2000.  Each year Joe’s Camp is composed of a five-on-five tournament (each team plays 5 games), drills, and competitions (one-on-one and 3-pt. shootout).   Trophies are awarded for Camp MVP, All-Star (4), Top Defensive Player, Leadership, One-on-One Champion, and 3-Point Shootout Champion.  However, there were two major changes made to the camp in 2007:

1. To encourage team basketball, the individual scoring statistics are no longer kept.

2. Two three-hour optional skill development sessions were added to the camp (the camp is now 4 days long).

 

Due to the high talent level the games are always very competitive and intense.  Since 2000, 187 different kids have attended Joe’s Camp.  Most of these 187 kids have come back for two or three years. 

 

Joe’s Camp 2000 was featured on ATV’s newsmagazine show Live at 5.     

 

Joe’s Camp 2005 was awarded a $500 grant from Nova Scotia Health Promotion and Protection, and Joe’s Camp 2006 was awarded a $500 grant from Active Halifax Communities.

  

Six members of the 2005 Nova Scotia Canada Games Team are  former Joe’s Campers (T. Fraser, C. Fox, D. Parsons, L. Reynolds, P. McIver, J. Grant).

 

A main focus of Joe’s Camp is to help build a strong basketball community in Nova Scotia.  It’s a great opportunity for many different young athletes to meet other talented kids from other communities and backgrounds.  Hopefully they will develop strong friendships that will last throughout their lives.  Basketball is not simply about a player’s ability to hit an open jumper or make the perfect pass.  More importantly, basketball provides great opportunities to meet new people and have a lot of fun.

Photo from 2002: (L-R) Stu McAdam, Jack Gallinaugh, Mick Tanner, Tyler Scott, Stefan Allen, Ryan States, Matt McGrath.