The Island Swish and Brar Basketball camps are an opportunity for school age kids to learn skills that may take them all the way to the VIU Mariners. January 2020 session pictured. (Avneet Brar)

By Dan Marshall

Bouncing Back

Basketball camps offered for K-12 students in Nanaimo

Oct 27, 2020 | 7:14 PM

NANAIMO — Basketball camps for school age kids have returned.

Island Swish is a six week program for kindergarten to Grade 8 students, running Saturday’s out of the new gym at Aspengrove School.

Brar Basketball sessions for high school athletes will be offered at the Oliver Woods gymnasium for eight consecutive Sundays.

Avneet Brar, who is one of the coaches for both programs, said it’s been a long time coming to finally see kids back on the court.

“There’s been a demand for this and we’re happy to finally be launching and providing a safe and fun environment for kids.”

roster shakeup

Nanaimo Clippers lose two major players to Major Junior ranks

2h ago

armed robbery

Knife-wielding man robs south Nanaimo liquor store

10h ago

Shorthanded

Clippers fall short hosting Bulldogs

17h ago

Sessions for the kindergarten to Grade 8 students will be broken down into appropriate age brackets and some of the younger groups will be co-ed.

The high school athletes will be grouped together in a limited capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions.

These camps give the kids an opportunity to learn about the game and develop social interactions as well.

Some of the more advanced players could find their way to the VIU team in the future.

Brar is an assistant coach with the Mariners and has seen first hand players coming through his camps and landing a spot with the VIU squad.

“On our 2019 national championship team there were four athletes who had been part of our basketball camps in the past. It’s great to see local kids who have come up through our Grade 7 program for example and then eventually come to compete for the Mariners.”

With so many unknowns around whether kids will be allowed to play sports like basketball at school and in P.E. classes Brar said the door is open to extend the length of the current sessions or to add more programs down the road.

dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On twitter: @danmarshall77