Lawrence Boys and Girls Practice Skills On and Off the Court
For over 30 years, Merrimack College’s Men’s Basketball Head Coach Bert Hammel has led the Academic Basketball Awareness (ABA) camp at Merrimack College – a program for Lawrence youth to live on the Merrimack campus for a week in order to fine tune brain and basketball skills.
Merrimack College, in collaboration with the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club, established the Academic Basketball Awareness (ABA) Camp in 1980. Today, this successful residential camp helps boys and girls ages nine to eighteen realize their abilities inside the classroom and on the court. The program aims to teach effective conflict resolution and builds positive self-esteem through workshops, team work, and interactions with successful camp graduates.
Girl's Camp: July 26 – 29 / Boy's Camp: August 2 - 6
More on the Academic Basketball Awareness (ABA) Camp at Merrimack College
Participants are selected from over 300 applicants from the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club. Selection is based upon candidates maintaining good grades, demonstrating good behavior throughout the school year, and obtaining letters of recommendation from teachers and principals.
A typical camp day…
- Academic classes 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. (decision making, conflict resolution, etc.)
- Basketball training clinics 1:00 – 10:00 p.m.
- Campers are also required to attend a 90-minute daily study hall and write a 150-word essay on “What ABA Means to Me”
Camp highlights…
- Rick Brunson – former NBA player and ABA camp grad, will be coaching at the camp.
- Past campers who have seen professional/life success will talk with students about overcoming obstacles;
- A loyal contributor to the ABA program and community will be honored during a special ABA Hall of Fame ceremony.