Closing in on Four Decades of Developing Basketball Stars Mike Trader's Basketball Camp Comes To Sidney in June

It's coming up on the beginning of summer, so it's time for Mike Trader's Mid-America Basketball Camps to get into full swing. For 38 years, Mike Trader and his team have been instructing youths to improve their basketball skills, and to bring those lessons home and give them a structured program to take their game to a higher level.

Trader was a standout player in his youth at Elkhorn, and says he benefited tremendously from the excellent coaching staff. he went on to Platte College in Columbus, and then moved to Hastings College for his final two years. The Hastings squad was excellent, compiling a 25-and-5 record in Trader's junior year, and then going 27-and-4 and winning a Conference Championship in his senior year.

Trader credits the top-notch coaching he received for his success, and for the unique program he has developed that has been very popular for nearly four decades. Trader has a special affinity for Sidney and Cheyenne County, as many young players have attended his camp over the years.

"I've had probably more kids per capita from Sidney and the surrounding area attend our camps over the years than any other location," he said. "The vast majority of those kids are hungry to learn and improve, and it's evident that regardless of age, these kids have had very solid coaching from the beginning," he added.

The results confirm Trader's opinion, as the Sidney High School Basketball teams always seem to be at the top of their conference, and are always in the mix when it comes to District and State Tournament time. Considering that so many players have gone through the Mike Trader Basketball Camps over the past four decades, there must be some correlation between attendance and the success of the Sidney basketball programs.

The camps have kept up with the times, utilizing the latest coaching techniques and incorporating technology in their teaching program. Trader focuses on proper mechanics, and goes through 15 different criteria for an effective and correct shot. Focusing on the positions of feet, knees and fingers, all cagers receive a video of their shot mechanics for them to analyze and study after they come home from camp. Trader incorporates competitions through the camp to keep the learning fun, and for campers to see the results of their study in real time.

"One thing that is universal for all the Sidney campers throughout the years, and that's the "want to" factor," Trader said. "You can go and learn new things at a camp, but if you don't have the discipline and desire to incorporate what you've learned after coming home from camp, it's not going to improve your game nearly as much," Trader said. And one thing that stands out regarding the Sidney and Cheyenne County camp attendees is that "want to" factor, which has consistently made area teams very competitive in their Class in High School competitions.

The camp will be at Sidney this year from June 3 through 6 at Sidney High School. For more information and to sign up go to http://www.traderscamp.com or call (402) 960-8011.