Basketball camp raises money, teaches skills

Libby’s basketball players have been busy honing their skills, with teams competing in last weekend’s Libby High School summer basketball tournament at the LHS gym and a basketball camp for all ages last Tuesday and Wednesday.

“It’s an opportunity for us and our neighboring players to practice and get some basketball in on the off-season,” said Libby boys basketball coach Wally Winslow of the tournament.

Winslow said players not only improve their basketball skills, but the money collected from tournament entry fees, goes back into a LHS basketball fund for uniforms and warm-ups.

“It all goes back into our school fund,” Winslow said, noting it was the 15th year to host the round robin. This year’s roster included high school teams from Kalispell, Big Fork, Troy and Columbia Falls.

“Most of the kids had a chance to play. I had 13 kids who participated,” he said.

LHS basketball coaches and players also worked together to train about 50 of Libby’s youth, who gathered in two groups — the younger at Libby Middle School and the older at LHS.

“It’s a nice opportunity for the young kids in our community to sign up to get some basketball skills and work with some of the high school kids in a real positive way,” said LHS girls basketball coach Jim May, who added the money from entrance fees is rolled back into the high school basketball program after the kids receive a basketball, t-shirt and prizes.

“It’s an investment in the future teams,” said May. “It’s the right thing for kids to be doing on a rainy afternoon in the summer.”