By Liz Keller / ScrimmagePlay.com contributor
Motivational speaker Anthony Robbins once said: “Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.”
Few have given more back to their sport in Fluvanna County over the years than Fletcher Arritt and the Fork Union Basketball School.
The Basketball School has a little something for everyone. The annual camp, led by Arritt, Fork Union Military Academy’s postgraduate coach, celebrated its silver anniversary last week, offering lessons to youngsters just starting to learn the sport on up to high school-age players. This year, Fork Union had 105 boys and girls ranging in age from eight to 16, which is about the normal range of attendees, participating in the week-long camp.
“It’s a situation where a young kid can go to a basketball camp for a small price and get dressed up in a basketball uniform and learn the fundamental skills that he ought to learn in order to improve himself as a basketball player,” Arritt said.
Participants wake up at 7:30 a.m., are in bed by 10:15 p.m. and in between, the day is packed full of basketball. The campers, divided into separate age groups, play games, listen to lectures and attend classes on offense, defense, ball handling, rebounding and shooting throughout the day.
And that is one thing that makes the camp unique, according to Arritt.
“At this camp you have your hands on the basketball more than any other camp because you really don’t go back to your dorm,” Arritt said. “Most camps are two to three days. We’re an old-fashioned camp — Sunday through Friday. We dress them up in a uniform. We have an offense and we make them run the thing.”
The camp is broken down into three age groups. Former Fork Union players frequently come back to help out with the camp and their mentor.
“Coach Arritt asked me to come back, and I help out every summer I can,” said FUMA alum Umar Muhammad, who has coached on the college level. “It’s a challenge trying to keep [the
younger group] motivated and focused. We make sure all of them have something to do. It’s something that’s fun and rewarding. As far as kids learning, it’s one of the best camps there is.”
Arritt, in his own particular way, simplifies the game of basketball, and, in turn, the purpose of the camp.
“What we try to do is teach three things: Be on time, do the things you’re supposed to do, and respect your fellow man. Those are the messages we’re trying to get across,” Arritt.
