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Putnam Science Academy’s basketball program just completed what Tom Espinosa calls “one of my favorite weeks of year.”
No, not another weeklong run during the national championship tournament, but one of PSA’s summer Drills and Skills camps.
“These camps really are so much fun for us,” said Espinosa, the Mustangs’ head basketball coach. “The kids come in from all over the area and put in a lot of work for the week, and have a lot of fun doing it. And I’m telling you, all the coaches that we had here this week have just as much fun as the kids.”
The camp was sold out, reaching its max of 50 players coming from Putnam, Woodstock, Eastford, Thompson, Pomfret, Plainfield, and Killingly, as well as Sutton, Dudley, and Charlton, Mass.
At the camp – for boys and girls in third-eighth grades – players work daily on individual skills like dribbling, passing, and shooting, while also participating in competitions and games that lead up to championship battles on the last day.
The players were broken into two groups, with 7-11-year-olds forming three teams in the Big East and 12-15-year-olds competing in the NBA.
“I really like it,” said 8-year-old Thomas Neal, from Putnam. “We get to work on different skills, and I think I’ve gotten better with shooting the ball this week. And I really like the fun games we play, like Knockout.”
PSA basketball coaches John Cavaliere, Nick Schmidt, Josh Scraba, TaNajia Smith, and Dana Valentine, as well as former Mustang Aidan Morin, and Putnam High School graduate Abby St. Martin all served as camp coaches. Former PSA and current Bryant College star Charles Pride was a guest speaker.
PSA will host one more clinic this summer, Aug. 8-10.
The Celtics, featuring Owen Budd, Will Ellsworth, TJ Espinosa, Drew Gisleson, Colin Healey, Sam Stone, and Tristan Watkins, won the NBA championship.
UConn, featuring Gage Cady, Bryce Espinosa, Riley Jean-Louis, Gavin Kucky, Thomas Neal, Keegan Paire, and Gage Szela, won the Big East division.
Individual award winners from the NBA division include: Drake Abdullovski (elbow shooting), TJ Espinosa (free throws and Hot Shot), Martyn Poluuhovuych (1-on-1), Courtney Clemens (Hustle Award), Owen Budd (Most Improved), and Drew Gisleson (Player of the Week).
Individual award winners from the Big East division include: Jordan Ashton (elbow shooting), Gage Szela (free throws), Bryce Espinosa (Hot Shot and Player of the Week), Lucas Paire (1-on-1), Brendan Clemens (Hustle Award), Nicholas Aleman (Most Improved).
By Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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