Jump Into Girls Hoops Clinic

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In Patrick Basilio’s view, it’s never too early to join the Mililani basketball family.

When he began the Lady Trojans Summer Clinic three years ago, it was more for high school-aged players, notably members of his Mililani junior varsity and varsity teams. That changed last month, however, as the camp began to admit younger kids, ranging from 6-11 years old.

“We start at ground zero with a lot of the girls,” said Basilio. “Half of our kids right now are newcomers,and for the other half it’s their first or second time. We do a lot of basic stuff - a lot of dribbling and passing - so it’s a nice way to learn the fundamentals.”

For parents looking for an activity for their daughters,the summer clinic might fit in nicely with their plans. The clinic runs from 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at Mililani High School and costs just $40 for the entire summer. The clinic is open to girls from all over Oahu.

“A lot of the clinics are in town, so we figured we could start something on this side that wasn’t just open to kids from Mililani,” Basilio said. “This year, we have primarily kids from Mililani. We wanted to build a system in the community to give the girls a good basketball base to build on - (notably) fundamentals and basketball knowledge.”

For players already in the Mililani High program, whether JV or the varsity, the clinics offer a chance to improve individually as well as prepare for those teams’ respective summer leagues.

In addition to Basilio, varsity assistant Francis Dagan and Lady Trojans head JV coach Daryl Kawamoto also offer instruction,while further leadership also comes from upperclassmen.

“Experience-wise, it’s good for the girls just coming out because they get to play with girls who have been in our system for two or three years. They’ve been helping the newcomers along. Girls who are going into the eighth grade we sometimes put up with the JV team (for the summer league) so they can see what it (the upper level) is like. They don’t hesitate when they step on the court later (as varsity players).”

For his part, Basilio also would like to see another Chelsea Basilio or Sophia Chang come up through the ranks. Both players completed their eligibility last winter after solid careers with the Trojans. “We took a big hit with them (finishing),” he admitted.

The summer clinic is still accepting newcomers. For more information, call 372-5184.