Donettes builds legacy through basketball camp

The Doniphan Donettes hosted their annual Donette Basketball Youth Skills Camp with an amazing turnout of young girls looking to learn the game and have fun.

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DONIPHAN - The winning legacy of the Doniphan Donettes basketball program will be upheld for many years to come thanks to head coach Adam Epps and members of the Donettes basketball team.

The Donettes hosted their annual Donette Basketball Youth Skills Camp last week and the participation for the event continues to grow each year. Epps, along with members of the team, opened their gym to work with young girls who were interested in enhancing their skills.

The age groups included grades third-fifth and sixth-eighth. The participants spent many hours learning the basics of the game but also had the opportunity to work closely with the Donettes they’ve watched all season.

With the success the Donettes had this season, Epps said sign-ups filled up quickly with many young players eager to learn about the game of basketball.

“The camp was really great,” Epps said. “A couple of years ago, we had to split our camps apart from the others because we had so many girls that wanted to participate, so we made it girls only. A lot of these girls have sisters or family that play for the team, and they want to be a part of it someday. The numbers have grown every year, and a lot of those younger girls have seen the success of the high school team, so they were very motivated to learn what it takes to be a Donette basketball player.”

Epps said although they focus heavily on basketball, he also likes to sprinkle some fun into the camp as well. He said his goal for the camp is to instill other values that can help the girls on and off the court.

“We talk about leadership, being a good teammate, and knowing how to lead the right way,” Epps said. “We work a whole lot on ball handling because that’s a big part of the game, so we spend a decent amount on it. We teach some shooting fundamentals, and then on that last day, we have some competitions with ball handling and shooting. It was a really good time for those three days. The goal is to get some kids in the gym and try to get them to love basketball at an early age, so we can keep it pumping at Doniphan.”