For five days this July, young athletes laced up their sneakers and hit the hardwood at Hendrick Hudson High School, participating in a basketball camp designed to teach, inspire, and connect the next generation of players.

Thanks to a partnership of the Town of Cortlandt, Hen Hud varsity girls basketball coach Megan Boyle, and a dedicated group of her players, 11 girls entering grades 2 through 6 spent the week of July 21-25 developing their skills. From dribbling and passing to shooting and rebounding, the camp focused on building strong fundamentals and confidence while fostering a sense of community and team spirit. 

“This was my first year doing the camp,” said Coach Boyle, who has led the varsity program for the past two seasons and previously served as an assistant since 2015. 

A Hen Hud alumna herself (class of 2010), Boyle emphasized that the camp’s mission went beyond basketball. “The goal is just to build the program name,” she said. “What I’ve learned is that we should get them interested and working together at a younger age. These girls are going to keep playing with each other until they graduate, so getting them comfortable with each other will help grow the program for the future.”

Each day featured mini competitions and a variety of drills. “We broke it into three 45-minute clinics,” explained Boyle. “The first [clinic] was always different 15-minute drills. Then it was smaller, game-like situations. At the end, it was a scrimmage where we tried to apply the skills. As the week progressed, we put them into groups.”

Helping lead the camp were six Hen Hud varsity players — Kaitlyn Raguso, Kate Stratton, Maria Ribeiro, Carmen Marino, Avery Motko, and Carleigh Ortiz — who rotated throughout the week to support and mentor the younger girls. Junior varsity head coach Jaelyn Smith was also present, helping break down technical aspects of the game.

For Boyle, one of the most rewarding parts of the week was witnessing the connection between the younger girls and the high school players. “I loved seeing the older girls with the younger girls,” she said. “Out of the eleven girls who came, nine said their favorite part was working with the high school girls.”

While this year’s camp drew a small but enthusiastic group, Boyle is optimistic about its future. “I would definitely like to get those numbers up,” she said. “They really enjoyed it — especially having the players come. I think that really made a difference.”

As the summer winds down and the school year approaches, Boyle shared one final message for the community: “Hopefully we can keep it going — and come to our season!”