
Vancouver’s professional basketball team renews its commitment to youth basketball
The Vancouver Volcanoes are having a strong season in The Basketball League, but organization leaders have always said they want to be known for more than just their play on the professional basketball court.
They want to be an important part of the community.

With that mission in mind, the Volcanes announced that former player and current associate head coach Porter Troupe is the new Director of Youth Basketball for the organization.
Troupe played three seasons with the Volcanoes from 2006 through 2008 before embarking on a 17-year career in Europe. He also has more than 15 years of coaching experience, mentoring youth.
Assisting youth basketball development in Vancouver has been a major focus of the Volcanoes since they joined The Basketball League in 2020. With Troupe leading the way, the Volcanoes are renewing their commitment to youth skill development and readiness for live competition.
The Volcanoes will host a series of multi-day youth camps this summer.
Three of these camps will be at the Firstenburg Community Center in Vancouver, July 8-12, July 22-26, and Aug. 5-9. These camps will be from 9 a.m. to noon, available for athletes ages 8 through 12. Cost is $195.
To register for these camps at Firstenburg, go to: https://form.jotform.com/infovancouvervolcanoes/YouthClinics
The Volcanoes are also partnering with Nike to provide three additional multi-day camps for athletes 7 to 15 years of age. These camps aim to sharpen skills with a daily schedule covering strength and conditioning, shooting and dribbling drills, gameplay tactics, and scrimmaging. The first two camps are set for July 15-19 and July 29-Aug. 2 at Evergreen High School, with some funds going toward the Evergreen Plainsmen basketball programs. The location of the third Nike camp, Aug 12-16, is to be determined.
The Volcanoes/Nike camps will run from 9 a.m. through 4 p.m. and the price is $345.To register for the Volcanoes/Nike camps, go to: https://www.ussportscamps.com/basketball/nike/nike-basketball-camp-vancouver-volcanoes
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