Time 2 Hoop founder Joshua Williams knows just how much participating in a team sport can help youth build character, develop critical life skills, and find a community.
That’s why he’s giving youth ages nine to 17 the opportunity to try their hand at basketball or volleyball this holiday break. Time 2 Hoop’s one-day co-ed clinics held in partnership with Nike Sports Camps will take place in Peterborough on Saturday, December 20 and Sunday, December 21.
“We want youth to test the sport and see if they like it or not,” says Williams. “If it’s something they want to continue, then we have more opportunities for them to get more involved in basketball and volleyball throughout the year.”
Providing more opportunities for kids to engage in sport is exactly what Williams intended to do when he founded Time 2 Hoop in 2018. A lifelong athlete while growing up in the GTA, he is a former varsity basketball player on the Fleming Knights (now Fleming Phoenix) and later coached the varsity men’s team.
“I just wanted take what I learned as a youth and bring that culture, discipline, and the fundamentals of basketball and give that back to the youth here,” Williams says.
Since its founding, Time 2 Hoop has continued to provide more opportunities for young people — from skills training and camps to clinics and leagues — not only by expanding into other nearby communities, but by expanding into other sports: soccer and volleyball. Time 2 Hoop also runs adult men’s and women’s basketball leagues.
Youth of all skill levels and experience are invited to sign up for the Nike Youth Holiday Basketball Clinics. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., athletes aged nine to 12 can join in the program on December 20 at St. Catherine C.E.S. in Peterborough, while those aged 13 to 17 are invited to the clinic on December 21 at Holy Cross C.S.S. in Peterborough.
Through one-on-one instruction, the basketball clinics will develop a variety of skills, including fundamentals like shooting mechanics, ball handling, passing, dribbling, and foot work, as well as the opportunity to engage in team games and modified game play. Participants will end the day putting these new skills to the test in a scrimmage game.
The older age group will also engage in combine testing to evaluate athletic skills including vertical jump, speed, strength, and agility.
“As kids get older, they’re working on developing their bodies and becoming more athletic — stronger, quicker, more explosive,” says Williams. “We’re giving them a little intro into how these things are tested as they get older, especially in high school and if they go into post-secondary education.”
To learn more and register for the basketball clinics, visit www.time2hoop.ca/basketballprograms.
Time 2 Hoop will simultaneously be hosting two Nike Youth Holiday Volleyball Clinics, with one for nine to 12-year-olds on Saturday, December 20 at St. Anne C.E.S. in Peterborough and one for 13 to 17-year-olds on Sunday, December 21 at St. Catherine C.E.S. in Peterborough.
Also held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the volleyball clinics will sharpen fundamental skills in serving, passing, setting, and attacking, and focus on footwork, movement, and court awareness. There will also be activities, team games, and competitions.
To learn more and register for the volleyball clinics, visit sportscampscanada.com/camps/nike-volleyball-clinics-peterborough.
All the holiday clinics will be led by varsity athletes and coaches.
“We have some young student athletes playing at the post-secondary level to help engage these young athletes,” says Williams. “They have been through the same process these kids are going through so they know what to provide, and the kids can see how they can pursue the same dreams that these varsity athletes are pursuing.”
Even if kids and teens don’t go on to pursue sports in the future, Williams explains the clinics will also provide them with the opportunity to build skills that are essential off the court.
“Teamwork, sportsmanship, accountability, positivity — these are skills you’ll learn throughout our clinics that you can transfer to anything,” he says. “It’s about being part of your community, meeting new friends, getting out of your comfort zone a bit, and challenging yourself. There’s many things that come with trying our clinics, as well as having fun.”
To learn more about Time 2 Hoop, visit www.time2hoop.ca.
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