Why kids keep coming back to Sampson’s summer camp

Coach Kelvin Sampson has made Houston’s youth basketball camp a summer staple for many young basketball players across the city.

Roughly 160 campers attend each of the two weeks, with Sampson praising them for embracing the structure and hard coaching. 

More than 100 of them are returners from previous years.

“We have kids that have been here nine years, now they’re about to age out. We’ve had kids here eight years, seven years, five years, four years,” Sampson said. “These kids love these camps, and they love the discipline.”

The camps are structured to mirror the culture that has defined the Cougars’ success throughout Sampson’s tenure, even incorporating similar reinforcements.

“It’s done with being on time,” Sampson said. “When I blow the whistle, you can’t shoot the ball after the whistle, can’t dribble after the whistle. If you do, you’re put in the “Rock Garden.”

During “Rock Garden,” chants erupt from both ends of the sidelines while campers who violate the rules run the length of the court.

The campers are divided into three leagues: rookies, minors, and majors. Each league has its own commissioner, with Sampson overseeing all operations.

As head coaches, the players are tasked with meticulously drafting their teams and are forced to run the court as a repercussion for going winless.

“I tell them, if you draft and you don’t win a game, then you’re going to run, because you did a crappy job of evaluating and drafting your team,” Sampson said. “So there’s some responsibility involved, too.”

There are certain players the campers clamor for, such as junior guard Mercy Miller and senior forward JoJo Tugler. 

“They love the fact that our players are coaching them,” Sampson adds.

Sophomore forward Chase McCarty narrowly escaped running during one of the weeks of camp, but fully embraces his role and looks forward to it every year.

His experience as a camp coach also offered a glimpse into how quickly fortunes can change in basketball.

“My first team, we were solid. I think we lost in the Final Four…My second team went 1-7, but it was a positive 1-7,” McCarty said. “We played hard. It was a coaching adjustment. It was my fault for the last couple of games.”

While he admits he is a much better player than he is a coach, McCarty appreciates the opportunity to lead future generations of players and build relationships with campers who look up to him and his teammates.

“You never know what you say can impact a kid’s day, so that really makes me smile when kids come back to me and say, ‘Hey, I really enjoyed camp. Hey, you made me better this week. Hey, I learned this and this,” McCarty said.

 “It really makes me smile.”