Keeping the spirit of Drifter pride alive by promoting the game of basketball during the summer is a key reason why the sports teams associated with Colonial Beach High School continue to remain competitive. Kids who play together as pre-teens, grow up winning together!
From Monday through Friday of last week, kids from King George, Colonial Beach, Oak Grove and Montross enjoyed all the fun and excitement associated with the 23rd annual Drifter Basketball Camp.
Led by Drifters boys’ head basketball coach Casey Johnson, kids enjoyed one on one coaching attention, while they focused on honing their court skills.

The camp consisted of two sessions: morning session (9 a.m. – noon) for ages 6-12, and an afternoon session (2 p.m. – 5 p.m.) for ages 13-18. Although the attendance was down from previous years, kids received more individual attention.
The camp featured shooting, dribbling and a focus on ball handling. After a session of drills, and the screams of “We love basketball” kids eagerly competed in the following contests: knockout, hotshot, 3-pointers, one-on-one, three-on-three and five-on-five.
Kids also had an opportunity to work on their individual skills such as moving without the basketball, passing and working together as a team.
All campers received a Drifter basketball T-shirt, food concessions and the opportunity to play in the Drifterdome.
Some of the notable Drifter varsity basketball players who helped were Tim McDowney, Michael Jackson, and current Virginia Wesleyan freshman Dylan Farinet. “It’s neat for the kids to see a college basketball player, such as Dylan—and get to see what they could be if they worked on their game,” Johnson said.
Drifter athletic legend and boys’ middle school basketball coach Earl Payton also assisted Johnson during the camp.

Leonard M. Banks
Sport Editor