Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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McGuire By Betty Woodruff "I enjoy myself now morn than any other time of the year,' said basketball coach Frani McGuire, who is In his secon( week of the 1973 Frank McGuiri Basketball School for Boys. From 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. 20( boys from age nine to 17 are com pletely involved In basketbal theory and fundamentals. Coach ed by McGuire and his staff, Doi Coach Quillan Finley of one of the younger particips Walsh, Ben Jobe, Buck Freeman and Bobby Cremmins, plus 31 area high school basketball coaches, the boys are placed in groups of eight with one coach per group, McGuire said. "This is one of the reasons this is one of the finest basket ball camps in the country," Mc Guire said. "We limit our num ber to 200 and the same counse lor stays with the same group throughout the camp. The coaches eat and stay with the boys all the time and I nevei miss a day--I open the doors al 7 a.m. and close them at il p.m.' McGuire said the camp gets i little publicity outside the Caro linas because they "want to keel it local. The boys here ar( mostly from South Carolina anc this is where they get a lot o: their impressions about thi school. It's almost like recruit ing students. If they weren't al this camp, they'd be at Furmar BLOOD DONORS Now paying donors $10 CASH or You may give for yourself or others Open Mday thru SturdaysK 75Man St., Columbia, S.C. P H. 254-1654 Acceptable ages ua4s. Diamond 2024 DEVINE STI COLU Finds Clii or Clemson." But McGuire also emphasized that the camp is not a recruit ing method. Due to NCAA rules, they are not allowed to accept a high school graduate or rising senior and there is no push for the boys to attend USC. While at the University, the I players stay at Bates House and play at the Coliseum, Physical Education building and Naval T. L. Hanna High School assists ints in McGuire's clinic. Armory. In practice, the school stresses individual attention, and lectures and movies are given in addition to actual competition "I have the most fun watch ing them improve." McGuire said. "There is usually a notice able improvement by Thursday after they begin Sunday night." McGuire also believes that most of the boys who come to the camp now are much better to start with than in previous years. "Coaches have improved. I saw Ben Jobe (McGuire's new assistant) here four years ago and began watching him then. But Easy To Open Gamecock Charge Account, *100 - (Limit) BRITTON S rrell 3Je,tueIler and Watchee EET e FIVE POINTS MABIA. S. C. ic Best. T1i coaches come here and get to gether and naturally begin talk ing basketball. They see a good set-up in operation and get ideas from it." "Now the boys are beginning to play 12 months a year and that's why South Carolina is be ginning to come up with good players. They used to put the basketballs up in March, while in New York they've played all year for a long time, and that's why so many good players come from there," McGuire said. "This camp is the beginning of a lot of basketball's populaifty." Rather than trying to make an athlete out of every boy, Mc Guire said the camp was "geared to do-ordinate the boys and teach them to play with other people. I want to get: them out of their TV chairs and playing ball." And despite 100 per cent .humidity and high temperatures, many of the boys were' playing on the outside courts in between activ ities. "I see these kids imitating John Roche and Kevin Joyce," McGuire said. "They love to play and that's what we want them to do." He also said that a trainer was on hand at all times and the boys were never left a lone. Special basketball t-shirts are worn constantly by partici pants for easy identification. "Bob Hope saw all these kids sitting together down at the Col iseum Sunday night and he could identify them immediately," Mc me Of Ye< Guire said with a large smile. "He called them "Frank Mc Guire's Romper Room!' " At the end of each session, each boy is evaluated on several aspects of play and the evalua tion sheets are sent home with him. "We want to do some last ing good with these kids," Mc Guire said. "By using these sheets, his coach or parents can Two young ball players tak which McGuire says is an impo see what he needs to work on." Apparently, the school does have "lasting good," for some of its graduates include John Riboch, Herbert Entzminger, Alex En glish and Jimmy Walsh. "Now the girls want a basket ball camp," McGuire smiled. "I can take care of the boys, but those girls would be too much responsibility!" e part in active competition, tant part of clinic activities. ......... ...~.. O S SOm