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JL Sorenson hosts summer basketball

Jun 05, 2017 04:01PM ● By Greg James

South Valley basketball players such as Riverton’s Jeff Arens have refined their skills through hours of practice and tutelage. (Dave Sanderson/dsandersonpics.com)

By Greg James |  [email protected]
           
Spring basketball camp was such a raging success that the JL Sorenson Recreation Center in Herriman has decided to hold its inaugural summer basketball camp along with its recreation and semi-comp leagues.
 
Hourlong training sessions are scheduled to begin June 3 and continue every Saturday the entire month. Youth groups participate in age appropriate and skill level activities.
 
“Summer camp is designed for beginner-type players,” JL Sorenson Recreation Center program coordinator Angie Smith said. “We will work on dribbling, passing, shooting and layups. It is also good for kids that can work on their skills. It will be great for any level. The kids should never stop learning to improve their skills,”
 
The staff at the recreation center teaches the sessions. Youth in kindergarten through sixth grade can participate.
 
The summer basketball camp is designed to send players into recreation and competition leagues to continue their skill development.
 
“Our comp league is still so new, so for us to help them find teams is hard, but there are several teams looking for players,” Smith said.
 
The second session of the recreation center’s semi-competitive basketball league is scheduled to begin June 6. This league is designed for recreational players that want to take the next step to super league level of play. Full teams enroll in the program together. Its games are played on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
 
The spring session had 25 teams. Interest in this level of play came from coaches and parents. The recreation center hosted 297 teams in its winter leagues. The summer and spring seasons are drastically smaller, but interest in leagues still continues.
 
Teams in the spring season included teams with names like the High Flyers, Utah Steel, the Beasts and Fire Dragons. The games were competitive and teams even more creative.
 
“We are fortunate to have good staff that runs the leagues,” Smith said. “Our officials are very good, and we have some staff helping to train. We have staff from Herriman, Riverton, Providence Hall and Bingham. These kids have played basketball at high levels, and I am very proud of their accomplishments and how they handle themselves.”
 
Players without a team to play on or who are still learning to play the game may find a recreation league more suitable.
 
The summer recreation league is scheduled to begin July 10. It is for boys and girls in first grade through sixth grade. Players can sign up individually, while full teams are encouraged to play in the semi-comp league.
 
The summer leagues are designed to help children continue to develop basketball skills in an atmosphere of sportsmanship, fair play and fun.
 
“The recreation center is creative and is good at filling the needs of the community,” Smith said. “We have been overwhelmed at the interest in these camps and leagues. We think this community wants more basketball. They seem to have a need for all of this.”