When Mark Gottfried isn’t busy coaching the NC State men’s basketball team, he is busy with a different group of young men who have a passion for the game.
During each summer he has been in Raleigh, Gottfried has held an intensive basketball camp in Carmichael Gymnasium for those who want to improve and develop the skills that are necessary to continue playing in higher leagues.
The Mark Gottfried Basketball Camp is composed of five separate camps: two team camps for high school varsity, JV and freshman teams, one individual camp and two skills day camps for ages 8-18.
“Our program always enjoys hosting our campers each summer,” Gottfried said in an official statement. “The experience gives them a look into what we believe in on and off the court, and they get to spend time on our campus as well. I enjoy watching young players learn the game of basketball, and we hope they leave our camps as better players and people.”
Campers can either commute or live on campus for the four-day period. Each camp includes player-coach clinics, tournament play, shooting contests, drills and an awards ceremony on the final day. Resident campers get to watch motivational and highlight films.
“The camp is really fun; there are a lot of competitive teams here,” said Treasure Smith, a camper from Green Hope High School in Cary. “It teaches great sportsmanship, being a leader, playing along with your team and just having fun while playing.”
While the majority of teams at Gottfried’s camp are from North Carolina, the camp is open to any team that wishes to attend.
One team that came to the camp was Score Academy, located in the heart of RTP. The academy hosts players from Brazil and trains them to play in the United States.
The rules and playstyle of international basketball are much different than in the U.S. Instead of the slower, methodical set plays that are abundant in overseas play, basketball in the States is played with a faster pace.
One of the most important reasons campers choose to attend Gottfried’s camp is to develop their skills under the instruction of those who love and have a great knowledge of basketball.
“I went to an individual workout with one of the directors here; there were only a few of us,” Smith said. “We did shooting drills, pull-ups, layups and we worked on triple-threat positions.”
Gottfried and the NC State coaching staff instruct the camp, and members of the Wolfpack squad, such as sophomore Lennard Freeman, can be seen in the gym, monitoring scoreboards and interacting with campers.
With team camps finished for the summer, the next round of campers who will arrive at Carmichael Gymnasium will be individuals looking to improve their skills with the hopes of someday joining the Pack.
