ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, August 7, 1996 TAG: 9608070011
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Community Sports
DATELINE: DUBLIN
SOURCE: CHAD WILLIS STAFF WRITER
Although it occurred smack in the middle of summer, last week's Cougar Converse Basketball Camp had the look and feel of mid-February high school basketball action.
Just ask Floyd County's Travis Cantrell, who only minutes into the first half of the Buffaloes 70-68 victory over Galax took a couple of spirited elbows from a Maroon Tide forward.
"Yeah, it was tough out there," Cantrell said. "There has been some really good competition this week ... this has been one of the better camps we've been to this summer."
It's testimony like Cantrell's that gives camp director and Pulaski County coach Pat Burns reason to smile. In just its second year, Burns' camp attracted 35 prep teams from Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina and is one of only two such camps sponsored by Converse in the state. Naturally, Burns has been the object of a lot of coaches' envy.
"I haven't had a coach here that hasn't come up and said, 'If you ever decide to stop hosting this, give us a call because we would love to have it at our school,'" Burns said. "The only other camp like this in Virginia is being held in Northern Virginia somewhere. Billy Pope from Northside called me and asked if I would mind if he put one on. I said 'yes,' because we want to bring the players here."
Burns' camp has been successful its first two years, drawing 70 teams since its inception and averaging roughly 370 players a session. At a per-player cost of $90, which includes a team practice uniform from Converse and RIM and a guaranteed 10 games, the camp is a bargain in a crowded market, in Burns' view.
"You can go to other team camps and pay upwards of $210-240 a player," Burns said. "Here it's much cheaper and you actually get to play more basketball. I love the people at the Radford [University] camp, but they've told me that we've taken away from their numbers. [Virginia] Tech hasn't even held a team camp the last two years.
"Cost is important because its gotten to the point where these players need to play year round. It used to be that you went to a camp to get ahead. Now you have to go to keep from falling behind the next guy."
Burns, who has worked many of the more famous collegiate camps, including Dean Smith's Tar Heel camp and Denny Crum's Louisville Cardinal camp, sees the Cougar Converse Camp as an up-and-coming hot spot.
"This is no question the future of the team camp," Burns said. "I think down the road this could become a major stopover for college coaches and recruiters."
SOFTBALL UPDATE: In the Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Department's Men's Open league, third-seeded Murderer's Row knocked off defending league champion and No.1 seed Windy Ridge Farms 11-5 in the finals of the double-elimination tournament.
Murderer's Row (13-4) is comprised of Brian Brazil, Jim Fisher, Rob Harris, Lee and Stuart Jennings, Eric Johnson, Chad Joyce, Dave Knachel, James Mays, Michael O'Brien, Frank Waite, Gary Wheat, Alex White, Trevor Willis and Chris Wise.
In the Radford Parks and Recreation Department's City League, Russell Apparel finished the regular season with a 14-2 mark, topping the Radford Fitness Center by one game in the loss column.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 linesby CNB