The fourth annual Skills and Drills Basketball camp came to an end this week.

The camp focuses on teaching children the fundamentals of basketball and has proven quite popular, with 62 students having participated this year. 

Eagle Pass High School Head Basketball Coach Ernesto “Neto” Reyes said at $45 per child, the camp is helping raise funds for the basketball program at EPHS. 

“We try to do things so we can benefit our program. It took us a couple of camps to finally buy a shooting machine that was very helpful this past season because we were able to pick up our shooting percentage from 28 percent to 34 from the free throw line,” said Reyes. “That shooting machine is pretty pricey. It’s $6,000.”

Not all funds go to the high school’s basketball players. Participants of the Skills and Drills are given awards and memorabilia at the end of the four-day camp. 

“Everything goes back to them, we give them shirts, we give them prizes, we recognize them at the end of the camp according to best camper, campers of the week, and participants that win in the challenges that we have,” said Reyes. “We have the skills challenge, the three-point challenge, the free throw challenge, and this year we’re doing a new one which is the knock out challenge.”

Reyes credited his fellow coaches, Assistant Varsity Coach Julian Caballero, Junior Varsity Assistant Coach Danny Flores, Coach Sergio Ruiz, and students who volunteer, for making the program so well-received.

“It’s a collectively knowledgeable staff helping us with these kids,” said Reyes. “We would also like to thank the parents for trusting us with their kids with our program.”

Reyes said they look forward to next year’s camp being as successful.

“We’re very happy.”