Beyond Basics - Big Man & Guard Mastery
July 29th – August 3rd, 2024 Grand Rapids, MI
Experience transformative training at Michigan Sports Academies Fieldhouse with NBA and top European coaches. Our camp emphasizes footwork, balance, and competitive gameplay, offering a comprehensive approach to mastering basketball. Perfect for serious players ready to advance their game.
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Here are some benefits with Rick Mahorn Camp
Pro Coaching & Player Development
Gain insights and guidance from a collective of elite coaches with over 50 years of combined experience from the NBA, European leagues, and collegiate basketball. This mentorship pushes players to excel in game situations and refine their skills.
Mental Upgrade, Focus, and Clarity:
Our program emphasizes mental toughness and clarity, aiming to boost self-confidence and foster a deeper trust in your own abilities. Experience significant growth in your approach to high-pressure situations and clutch moves.
Experience Pro-Level Training
Step into the world of professional basketball with training methodologies and routines designed to mirror the intensity and discipline of a pro player's regimen. Understand what it takes to compete at the highest levels, from physical conditioning to strategic gameplay.
Everything you need to Know For Our 2024 CAMP
Our flagship summer camp for big men and guards will take place once again at the Michigan Sports Academies Fieldhouse in Grand Rapids, MI. The facility, with multiple courts, is just steps away from the hotel, and a large supermarket, Walmart, and multiple restaurants are all nearby. Hotel rooms include a full fridge, stove top, microwave and other amenities, as well as a full breakfast. The free hotel shuttle will pick up those players staying at the hotel.
This year, Rick and George will be joined by a dedicated guard coach so that some sessions can focus on position-specific skills. Our overall philosophy is to balance skill teaching with helping you strengthen your own particular skill set. We believe this has proven then most effective way to ensure that you not only leave the camp a better player but that once your new season is underway you will continue to use what you have learned rather than revert to old habits (which is always the natural tendency. We have consulted with past participants and many professional players to find the ideal number of days and daily schedule.
Our addition of full-on games with a ref in the last days of the camp proved to be excellent innovation. This year we will have games the last two days where you will put to the test everything you have learned.
We have also taken every possible step to keep the camp affordable. Here is a breakdown of camp costs:
The camp itself (Monday mid-day through Saturday mid-day) is $795
Early registration $125 discount!! Pay by May 1st and the cost will be $595.
If you pay by June 15, the camp will run $695.
All prices quoted above include non-refundable $35 administrative fee
Scholarships are available to participants who apply by June 1 and pay by the June 30 deadline. Scholarships may cover between 25-75% of the camp cost in exchange for community service hours. All scholarship requirements MUST be completed by July 15. Contact info@bigman.camp for details.
This year we will be based out of the Candlewood Suites next to the MSA Fieldhouse. Players and parents are free to make your own hotel reservations. Players needing to be paired up with one other player should contact us at info@bigman.camp
We may be able to give subsidies for those coming from farther away who will require air travel but will only know closer to the time of the camp.
IN THE EVENT THAT THE CAMP IS CANCELED FOR ANY reason you will receive a FULL refund. This applies ONLY to participation fees paid directly to the Rick Mahorn Big Man Camp for camp or hotel, AND DOES NOT APPLY TO ANY PAYMENTS YOU HAVE MADE DIRECTLY TO AIRLINES, HOTELS, OR 3RD PARTY BOOKING SITES.
Anyone who has paid and has to cancel will receive 80% refund if canceling by July 21 or have the option of applying all but the $35 non-refundable administrative fee toward the cost of a future camp. Cancellations after July 21 will receive a 40% refund or have the option of applying all but the $35 non-refundable administrative fee toward the cost of a future camp.
Participants should provide their own medical insurance. In the unlikely event of any mishap, there is a walk-in clinic just down the street from the gym.
Players should make every effort to arrive in good physical condition. Adequate warm-up and cooling-down as well as water breaks will be scheduled.
REMEMBER: YOUR SPOT AT THE CAMP IS ONLY GUARANTEED UPON OUR RECEIPT OF FULL PAYMENT.
Payment may be made by check or via Zelle to the account for RickMahornBigManCamp@gmail.com
Payment must be received in full to receive any discounted rates for early registration.
For additional information contact us at info@bigman.camp
*Players requesting scholarships to cover part of the camp cost should contact us as indicated above
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What age players do you guys work with?
We have worked with pro players to age 26 and youth players as young as 13. Our camps accommodate different age levels according to ability level so that players will be neither held back nor in above their heads. Professional, college and high school players have all availed themselves of our online coaching (more information in another FAQ). If you (or your child) is 10-15 we invited you to contact us at info@bigman.camp
A lot of players use the summer to work with an individual coach. Why should I spend money to attend your camp?
Working with an individual coach is very important, but as mentioned above, it is only the start. Imagine learning to drive in an empty mall parking lot. After a good number of lessons, you will know the workings of driving a car. BUT YOU WILL NEVER HAVE HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF DRIVING IN TRAFFIC! Now imagine driving in busy city streets or crowded highways!!
Ettore Messina, who for many years was Gregg Popovich’s lead assistant coach with the Spurs, is a strong advocate of our approach. “For most young big men, footwork and balance are one of the most important areas they need to improve. These guys all look elegant in their workout tapes but put them in actual games and you see how often and how easily they are pushed around and lose their balance. Unless you are practicing your moves in real-life scrimmages with continual feedback, you are wasting your efforts.”
And that is exactly what we do, because our goal is for you to play your best in the heat of competition. Too many programs and training situations produce guys who perform great in practice, and leave you to figure out for yourself how to make the transfer to game-play when everything is being thrown at you.
The old-school back-to-the-basket big man is not so much in demand these days. What will a camp featuring big man play give me?
One of the ways in which we have evolved is to develop a more comprehensive approach, as evidenced by our new name: Rick Mahorn Big Man and Guard Camp. If you are a big, we will help you develop a broad skill set including a more flexible style of big man play.
Together with this, our overall focus is to help you strengthen your particular style of play rather than look for you to change to fit some general mold. We will help you correct some of your commonly-recurring mistakes and point out some things you can do more frequently or in a different way to achieve a more aggressive and commanding game.
Why is yours the only camp where mental coaching is an integral part of the camp?
The majority of coaches have little experience with mental coaching, other than to agree that the mental game is a critical part of winning, so they are typically neither able to add much in this area nor inclined by previous experience to do so. Dr. Mitch Smith has 25 years’ experience in sport psychology, having worked with hundreds of big men and dozens of NCAA and professional teams in both the U.S and overseas. There is a general consensus in the world of sport that as an athlete becomes more proficient in his sport’s technical skills, the mental part becomes increasingly critical. In evaluations of our past camps, players rate the mental coaching component as being of significant benefit.
While many mental coaches tend to teach a variety of techniques, our approach is more organic, helping you to develop an understanding of some of the blocks in your path and what will best work for you to reduce or eliminate them. In general, focus, confidence and stress are the areas that most come up in our work. The end goal, like in the more physical part of our program, is to impart tools that you will use as your basketball journey continues.
I really want to attend the camp but money is an issue. Do you offer any kind of financial aid?
We believe in our camp and what it can give you and don’t want anyone to miss out for financial reasons!!! Therefore we offer the following possibilities:
1. You may want to turn to family/friends, your church, and others who your family does business with (accountant, attorney, dentist, insurance agent, etc.) to help you fund your participation, including setting up a GoFundMe page.
2. To promote the community values we espouse at the Rick Mahorn Big Man Camp, we are partnering with The Center for Sport and Character to offer scholarships to cover part of the camp fees for those who engage in 20 hours of community service. To receive this scholarship you will be required to meet specific conditions. Contact info@bigman.camp for details.
3. For those attending the Holy Land Camp, a post-camp rebate of up to $150 can be earned upon submission of an op-ed piece of article published in your college or local newspaper reflecting your experience. Guides at info@bigman.camp
Note: You are advised to check with your college to be sure that any scholarship funds you receive are consistent with NCAA or other regulations.
The camp looks great! Unfortunately, I am unable to take part on those dates. What other options can you suggest?
One thing you can do is take part in much of the camp virtually. We will be livestreaming the teaching sessions and will offer the option to sign up for that.
The other thing we suggest is our online coaching option. The way it works is that you submit some game clips and we will schedule a zoom session with some of our coaches who will review with you possession by possession and look at some of the small but consequential mistakes you are making as well as what you do well that you should be doing more frequently.
Keep in mind that, unlike your team coach, our only agenda is to help you get better, and a big part of this is to increase your understanding of how you are playing. The dozens of players who have taken advantage of this option, especially during the pandemic, have found these sessions extremely beneficial. You can find examples of sessions with players on our YouTube site. For more information contact us at info@bigman.camp.
What Our Athletes LOVED!!