B.T. Basketball camp hosts practice
Camp helps athletes improve performance on basketball court and is run by former Sparta High School standout, Brian Thomas.
Sparta /
| 12 Aug 2019 | 06:58
Thirteen year old Grant Krueger of Hampton Township, is in the midst of a lay-up shot after getting past B.T. Basketball staff member Alex Podolski playing defense. Podolski is a graduate of Sparta High School where he played basketball.
A B.T. Basketball (Brian Thomas Basketball) camp practice session took place on Tuesday, July 16.The goal of the camp is to help athletes to improve their performance on the court. Basketball players strengthen their fundamental ball control skills. They gain a better understanding of the game of basketball, from ball-handling to team-play strategies.The day was part of a four-day scheduled camp for incoming first- through ninth-grade boys. The camp took place at the Sparta Police Athletic League building in Sparta Township.B.T. Basketball founder Brian Thomas is a former Sparta High School basketball standout where he was a three-year starter. Thomas played for legendary coach Dennis Tobin. During his high school years Thomas helped the Spartans earn three straight county tournament championships. For his part Thomas who played as a point guard was named most valuable player in two county tournaments. And he scored over 1000 points. After graduating high school in 1994 he went on to the University of Rochester, where he played basketball and earned a degree in psychology.Injuries suffered during his college days dashed any hopes of playing professional basketball. But his passion for basketball has enabled him to continue being a part of the sport as a coach and mentor to many aspiring athletes on the hardwood. Thomas has had coaching stints at Montclair State University, Sparta High School, and St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark.Many B.T. Basketball staff members are current or former high school basketball players. Some of the staff trained at B.T. Basketball beginning at the grade school level and stayed with the program for years.A partial list of current staff members for B.T. Basketball is as follows: Shawn Falk (Wallkill Valley Regional High School), Brendan Franko (High Point Regional High School), Alex Podolski (Sparta High School), Richie Botti (Jefferson Township High School) and Ben Melville (Sparta High School).The roster of staff members changes during the course of the year but the talent pool is drawn from multiple high schools and colleges in the northwest New Jersey region.B.T. Basketball organizes a series of camps and clinics at various times for boys and girls. To keep up with events at B.T. Basketball the organization's website address is http://brianthomasbasketball.com/