Norwich is not only for college students. The R.I.S.E. basketball camp’s purpose is to teach kids fifth through 12th grade in the central Vermont area to seek excellence in everything they do, according to Paul Booth, the camp’s founder and owner.
“The acronym R.I.S.E. stands for reach inside and seek excellence,” Booth said. “We want every kid that comes in here to certainly become a better basketball player but having learned something about themselves that will help the to continue to try to work hard in whatever they choose to do.”
Booth continued, “We have two camps, one day camp during the summer months and a four-week camp that is held on Sundays prior to the youth season starting. The coming up is to help prepare kids for their upcoming season.”
According to the Norwich athletic site, “This camp will look to improve your individual skills and your overall game through competitive play. Expect 90 minutes of intense training over four Sundays throughout the fall. You will be tutored by a top collegiate coaching staff.”
Booth said, “We have used many Norwich students and former students, such as Antonio Davis, Brandon Kuhre, Jaren Jeffcoat, Natalie Marchese, Ally Daniels, Josh Cabrera as well as some others and we have them here to show the kid what it is all about being a student athlete.”
Antonio Davis, 20, a junior physical education major from Albany, N.Y., said, “We teach the kids basketball but I think they get more out of the fact that we take an interest in them. I still keep in touch with campers from the camps I have worked.”
Brandon Kuhre, 20, a sophomore sport medicine major from Cornish, N.H., said, “I think the camp gives kids a good environment to learn from and it gives us a sense of gratification that we can help kids learn basketball as well as life.”
Davis said, “The summer camp is a little different from the fall camp because since it is a day camp, we can spend more time with the kids and build more relationships. The fall camp however tends to be a lot of kids returning from the summer camp.”
Booth said, “The purpose of having this camp is to teach the kids their fundamental skills while having as much fun as possible.”
Kuhre said, “I cannot believe how eager the kids are to learn from us. They really get a lot out of what we are teaching them.”
Davis said, “The kids look up to you and really try to do what you tell them. The saw Natalie and Ally play for four seasons at Norwich and myself for two and really just want to learn anything they can from us.”