Girls from around the state flocked to Powell High School to take part in the Midwest Elite Girls’ Basketball Camp in June, Girls from around the Big Horn Basin region and stretching down to Casper attended the camp.

Athletes attending the camp ranged all the way from 6-year-olds all the way through high schoolers over the three day camp, with coach Chelsea Kistler hopeful that the camp helped grow the game around the state.

“We had some 6, 7 and 8-year-olds in here. We’re all in this gym sharing the same love and working hard to get better. It’s fun to see some future Panthers in here. We also had some kids from Cody and from Casper. Just getting that vibe out everywhere, it’s not just about Powell, it’s sharing the love of basketball across the state,” Kistler said.

Numbers were strong throughout the week for the camp, as Kistler noted that a significant amount of kids from around the area attended, which she hopes will help them want to attend games in the future for the high school and college.

“The more the merrier. That just means we have a positive future ahead of us and a lot of little girls wanting to play our sport as they get older,” Kistler said. “I’m sure they look up to a lot of my players and Northwest’s players and then it’s fun for them to go support them.”

Throughout the week Kistler wanted the kids to remember that camp is supposed to be fun and should be an experience they enjoy with their friends, noting that hard work can also be fun.

“Camp is supposed to be fun. They need to know that hard work can be fun; it doesn’t always have to be grueling,” Kistler said. “They can have some fun at camp and enjoy their friends while getting to know us as coaches.”

During the camp, Kistler was joined by Northwest College athletic director Brian Erickson, who she said helped the older kids throughout the week.

“The older kids have heard from me enough already. Getting to hear similar outlooks on the game is good because then they hear it from somebody else that has coached at the collegiate level,” Kistler said. “They need to hear it from other people than myself. I let Brian take the older kids and I take the younger kids and start to build that relationship.”

She noted that while the camp is fun for the kids, the camp brings a little bit of fun back into the sport for Kistler while the program attempts to continue growing all the way down to the youngest level.

“They bring a lot of fun back into my eyes for the sport too,” Kistler said. “Hopefully they had enough fun that they want to come back in the future and we continue to build our numbers. If you see those same kids over and over again you’re bound for some success.”

The camp was one of many featured throughout the area this summer, featuring plenty of contests and competition to help the sport continue to grow throughout the summer and heading into the fall before the season kicks off in the winter.