by VERNON JOHNSON

Daily Staff Writer

High school basketball players from across the country will practice their skills at the Ernst F. Lied Recreation/Athletic Center throughout the summer at Iowa State’s basketball camps.

The campers have been honing their skills in the Rec Center and Head Basketball Coach Tim Floyd said the camp is “contained in what I think is one of the greatest camp facilities in the U.S.”

According to Floyd, coaches provide money for themselves through their camps, but that is not his interest, nor a part of his contract.

“Old Coach Floyd will probably get paid the same whether we have one camper or a thousand,” he said.

Recruiting is the interest and a very important element to the basketball program because, according to Floyd, interest can be built around the program.

“You can get a youngster in the seventh or eighth grade and build a relationship,” Floyd said. “You never know when that old prospect will roll through.”

Floyd said the camp staff noticed two or three prospects in last week’s camp and in one hour of camp Monday, there were a few more.

Floyd enjoys the fact that there is access to 24 courts and everyone is in one facility. “We like to get our players involved,” he said.

Ex-Cyclones Hurl Beechum, Julius Michalik, Loren Meyer, Fred Hoiberg and Saun Jackson will return to help their old coach with the camps.

Floyd wants to maintain a 10-to-one ratio of coaches to kids and hopes the camps will be larger someday.

“We anticipate days when these camps will be larger,” Floyd said.

In his first year at New Orleans, Floyd’s camp had 35 kids and in his last camp, there were over 1,100.

“I want these camps built as big as they can come because they’re good for the institution, good for the university.”

Floyd believes that even if the number of kids goes over 1,000, the Rec Center will still be able to accommodate ISU students.

“As camps grow, we’ll move into other facilities.”

Behind every young camper there is a proud father. Floyd had two father/son camps earlier this summer. The second ended Sunday, June 18, with 130 participants.

“It’s neat to see bonding between the fathers and sons,” Floyd said. “We build relationships and quality time.”

Bringing fathers and sons together gives them a chance to see the campus together and visit the Ames community, according to Floyd.

Fathers and sons also get a chance to listen to Marty Martinez, ISU professor and sports psychologist.

“He talks to dads about how hard to push [their sons], when to compliment and when they might need a little direction,” Floyd said.

“Kids want to play games,” he said. That’s why a competition camp has been set up August 1 through 4. Floyd feels this is probably the most popular camp for the kids.

Another vehicle builder for recruiting players is the team camp. Teams from across the country will participate in games against each other.

Floyd said it “builds relationships with high school coaches.”

“This is all about building a program and I think the camps are an integral part of building a program,” Floyd said.

All participants of the basketball camps will stay in the Maple-Willow-Larch dormitory complex.

For more information about ISU basketball camps, contact the men’s basketball office at 294-8232.