SHS boys basketball finding time to improve, hosting youth camp after Fourth of July

SANDPOINT — In his first few weeks of overseeing the Sandpoint boys basketball program, new head coach Brian Childs is doing everything he can to get his players some court time — but it hasn’t been easy.

Over the past month, time has been tough to come by for Childs. He’s had to wrap up his teaching responsibilities at Heritage High School in Vancouver, Washington, and move from there into the family’s house in Coeur d’Alene, which is undergoing renovations.

With all that going on, getting acquainted with his new gig has been challenging.

“It’s been a struggle and it’s not anybody’s fault, it's just kind of the circumstances,” he said.

Fortunately, the storm has calmed down. Childs and his family recently got completely settled in, and with the transition complete the Muncie, Indiana native is hopeful he can get the Bulldogs in the gym more.

“It’s just going to be important for me to be up there and just have the gym open,” he said.

Childs got his first look at his new players and the future of the program during the team’s three-day summer kickoff camp in the first week of June. Since then, he’s been opening the gym for the boys whenever he can, but it’s been sporadic.

Childs is aiming to establish a more consistent practice routine with his players now that he can be more flexible.

Most basketball teams wrap up offseason activities at the end of June or in early July, but Childs said the team is going to continue to grind throughout most of next month to make sure they get as much out of the summer as possible.

On Monday, Childs was able to throw together a pair of scrimmages down in Kellogg with St. Maries, the defending 2A state champs, and the Wildcats. It was the Bulldogs’ first taste of another team in over four months and the perfect opportunity for Childs to assess where his team is at.

Sandpoint didn’t have its full squad, including all-league selection Colin Roos, but Childs was impressed with how well the team played given the limited time they’ve had together this summer. He could see the chemistry.

“The kids played hard, they played together and seemed to be excited to be out playing basketball, so we’re just going to try and build off of that,” he said.

The West Valley Summer League and other camps and tournaments the Bulldogs typically participate in during the summer aren’t happening or already occurred, Childs said, so he plans on scheduling more scrimmages in the coming weeks.

“We’re going to do what we can to get us playing as much as we can,” he said.

When Childs has been in the gym with the Bulldogs, he’s focused on getting a feel for the strengths of his players and the areas they need to improve. Luckily for Childs, he received a jump on that process that most new head coaches don’t get.

He attended a handful of Sandpoint’s games this past season while working remotely, so the talent the team possesses isn’t foreign to him. However, Childs said watching the players from the stands and coaching them on the sidelines are two completely different things, so he’s still trying to gauge where the Bulldogs are at.

He said he can tell the junior-laden team has been working hard in the gym since the end of the 2020-21 season.

“They’ve made a lot of progress physically,” he said.

Last year, Childs noticed the team didn’t take a lot of mid-range jumpers and 3-pointers, and when they did they were inefficient at times. Childs loves to spread the floor and get his team open looks, so he’s emphasized the importance of getting shots up over the summer to his players.

“I think we have guys that can shoot it, but the one thing is you have to get the reps in the gym,” he said. “There’s really no reason for us not to be getting a lot of shots up between now and November.”

In the meantime, incoming third through ninth graders can look forward to the four-day camp the Sandpoint boys basketball team will host on July 6-9.

The camp will be held at Kootenai Elementary. Grades 3-5 take the court each day from 9-11 a.m., followed by grades 6-9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The camp will include instruction from high school coaches and players, an emphasis on skill development and games with prizes each day.

Cost is $25 and includes a Bulldog basketball camp T-shirt. Registration will be conducted at the door prior to the start of day one of the camp. Contact Brian Childs at brian.childs@lposd.org if you have any questions.