PHASE 1 LAUNCHES ELITE GIRLS BASKETBALL CAMP IN WINNIPEG

TORONTO - NBA Global Ambassador and former Toronto Raptor Jerome Williams, with the support of Canada Basketball, announced Wednesday the PHASE 1 National Girls Elite1 Camp (NGE1). The first of its kind, the camp will be held from July 11-15 at the Balmoral Hall School for Girls in Winnipeg. Only 33 spots are available in each of three age categories. "We want to make sure Canadian girls receive early exposure to their athletic competitors nationwide," said Williams. "This is a long overdue opportunity for younger girls to learn from others across the country and together develop the elite level skills they will need at the next level."

The event will bring girls aged 12-17 years together under one roof, a merging of basketball skills and athletic development. Participants will benefit from the expertise of the coaching staff of Canadian women players from European professional, Canadian University and NCAA Division 1 teams, as well as Williams. The week's program will include:

Fostering talents of aspiring professional basketball players through a six-to-one player-to-coach ratio.

Six-hour daily sessions - twice the average session length provided in other Canadian camps.

Professional assessment and individualized post-camp training program for each participant by Dr. Thomas Lam, a renowned expert in sports medicine. A $1,500 value.

Proprietary Phase 1 athletic training for elite performance through quality movements that reduce sports injury and enhance skill execution.

Complete session fee $465 Cdn, plus applicable taxes; accommodations and meals extra.

Athletes will participate in an integration of athletic development and education in the proactive prevention of sport injury. Respected Canadian sports medicine practitioner Dr. Thomas Lam and his team from FITS Toronto, known for their work with elite level athletes, will share their knowledge and research in delivering athletic development sessions during the camp.

The site of the camp, Balmoral Hall School, has long been known for its proven success in fostering excellence in both academics and elite girls' hockey. Its campus has some of the best athletic facilities in the Winnipeg area.

"We are pleased to partner with the basketball community in developing elite girls' basketball players by providing our facilities for this remarkable camp and using PHASE 1 training in our basketball curriculum this upcoming year," said school executive director Tina Alto. "It is perfectly complementary."