On Monday June 15, 2015, Newman Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mark Potter held the first day of his annual Mark Potter Day Camp. Children from Wichita and surrounding areas came to Fugate Gymnasium at Newman University to learn the fundamentals of basketball from Coach Potter, staff, and players.
The camp caters to children and teaches the fundamentals of basketball so that kids as young as 5 are able to learn the sport and grow into the best players they can be. Campers are taught the fundamentals of dribbling, passing and shooting, and how to play defense the correct way through various drills and competitions.
Basketball is a team sport that also allows coaches to teach the players the game of life through various engaging talks and activities.
“Overall attitude is the most important to teach the kids,” said Potter.
At the camp, Potter wants to stress the importance of basketball being a team game, and the importance of every camper coming to each day of camp with a great attitude. This allows students to learn skills needed to play basketball so that they are able to reach their full potential whether they are in kindergarten or eighth grade.
Potter is entering his 18th season at Newman as the men’s head coach. Newman is coming off a 15-11 season. The Jets had their best season in the 2012-2013 season when they went to the NCAA Div. ll tournament. Potter hopes to duplicate that sensational season with the help of some returners and some notable transfers.
The Mark Potter Day Camp will run until June 17 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. There will also be a team camp held in Fugate Gymnasium on June 20. Team camp is designed to let high school coaches coach their teams in the summer. It also allows them to play against area high school teams.
