Future Hoopsters
Itty bitty basketball players learn skills
Karen Peterson photo
Isaac Desjarlais, 17, works on drills with the children.
Karen Peterson photo
Children walk a plank for balance.
Karen Peterson photo
A participant contemplates a drill.
Karen Peterson photo
Parents and instructors form a tunnel for the kids to run through.
Karen Peterson photo
Karen Peterson photo
Karen Peterson photo
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ARLEE — Nellie Desjarlais, 14, looked at the basketball court when she was five years old and froze in fear.
“She was too scared to get off the bench,” said Tina Begay, Nellie’s mom. “So, I started this for her, and people kept asking for it, so I kept doing it.”
Begay started Itty Bitty Basketball nine years ago to help children ages 3 to 5 get comfortable on the court, and it paid off. Nellie got off the bench and is now part of the undefeated eighth-grade girls basketball team.
“The Warriors and Scarlets are awesome because we start them young,” Begay said with a smile.
Now Nellie helps with the Itty Bitty camp. She shows the kids how to dribble and chases a few escaped basketballs.
“I’m showing them what to do,” she said. “I’m trying to encourage them.”
Nellie’s brother, Isaac Desjarlais, 17, does all the heavy lifting during the camp.
“Isaac sets up all the basketball hoops and helps the kids,” Begay said.
Isaac starts the kids out with a few small stretches before lining them up with itty bitty basketballs.
“We work on the fundamentals: dribbling and passing,” he said.
Before the kids shoot some hoops, they walk the wood plank.
“I saw this done at the YMCA in Missoula,” Begay said. “It was about learning balance. We also work on giving each other five, taking turns and caring about each other. I don’t want parents to force the kids into it. Just bring them and they’ll eventually get off the bench.”
Five-year-old DeLonte Oldperson is back for a second season at camp. He explained how he shoots the ball: “I keep running, I stop. I shoot the ball and I’m happy.”
DeLonte likes working with the “big kids” at the camp.
“You get to learn dribble and exercising,” he said.
He plans to move up the ranks to Little Dribblers next year, but he has much bigger aspirations for his future.
“I like the Bulls,” he said. “I want to be like Michael Jordan.”
