My name is Michael Allen and I’m an 18-year old basketball player from Bluevale Collegiate in Waterloo. I recently had the privilege of attending the Adidas Tri City Top 40 basketball camp at RIM Park. It was an awesome experience and I believe helped further develop my game. 

I’ve always loved basketball, from the time I first started playing.  I began when I was extremely young and I have video from when I was two years old playing in my basement.  I joined house league YBL when I was five and then played on my first travel team when I was in grade 4 for the Waterloo Wildhawks.  I played Wildhawk basketball for about 7 years from grades 4-10 and played on some additional teams throughout that time in the summer months.  I’ve also played Wolverines and last year on the Toronto Longhorns in the EYBL circuit which was a goal of mine. I love basketball because I enjoy seeing the progression and working towards a goal. I have achieved a lot of goals I’ve wanted and there’s still plenty more I would still like to achieve.  

Basketball has its ups and downs but my passion for the game leaves no doubt in my mind that all the time, energy and effort is worth it.  I enjoy early morning workouts and multiple workouts a day. A day being on the court multiple times or working out at the gym feels like an accomplished day.  I have aspirations to play post secondary basketball in university and this has been one of my main goals since I was young and fell in love with the game.  As a player, I love to get my teammates involved.  A lot of my favourite teams I’ve been on are because of how well the ball moves and the chemistry between teammates. I believe some of the strengths in my game are my shooting ability, passing and unselfishness, and my communication as a leader.  Talking and being vocal is an easy thing to do but not many players do it.  This is helpful at my position and helps to establish myself as a leader on the court.

These are just some of the skills I’ve picked up attending the Trip City Top 40 basketball camp. I have attended the camp twice as a ninth and tenth grader at the junior showcase.  Every year I’ve been to the camp, it evolves and gets better; the set up, the amount of exposure, the level of coaching, and above all the competition.  Camp leader and professional basketball player Imad Qahwash does a great job of finding time in his busy schedule to provide local talent a platform to showcase our abilities.  

This year, I walked into camp on the Friday night not knowing who would be there or what to really expect - it's been two years since I last attended and didn’t know if the camp had stayed the same or changed.  Needless to say, the camp had evolved.  The jerseys and gear we received as players were great; the jerseys were top of the line, updated adidas uniforms that were used in last year's NBA draft combine.  They went perfect with the socks and the gym bag we also received.  That night we did a dynamic warm up and jumped straight into games.  This shows right off the bat who the best players are, who’s the most athletic, who can play the best defence and who’s willing to compete at the highest level.  The 40 players are put on teams prior to the camp starting.  The way games work are two teams play while two sit off. The games consist of two 20 minute runtime halves and once the first half is completed, the next two teams play their first half and then the original two teams play their second half.  This allows players to play hard for the entire time they’re on the court.  The games are a good length, players get tons of playing time and chance to show their abilities in front of over ten U-Sports and prep school coaches.

I had a great time playing with some great players such as Emmanuel Otong, Layee Jabateh and Tyreak Farquharson.  Our team worked hard, competed well and didn't lose a single game all weekend long. I always get to play against these guys in WCSSAA but it was nice to be able to play with them for a change, they’re great players who make the game easier for their teammates and are great team players.  

The coaching I received was top of the line, coaches who have played post secondary in U-Sports, D1 players plus former and current pro players made up the coaching staff for the weekend.  They were obviously very knowledgeable and gave tips and ways to improve all weekend.  My favourite coach to learn from would have been Nathan Johnson who is the current coach of Orangeville Prep.  He led us through drills and skills but also made sure we were pushing ourselves throughout the entire weekend.  I always enjoy meeting and being coached by new coaches because everyone has a slightly different perspective of the game.  I’m always open to learning and hearing how I can improve.  

One thing I think puts this showcase above others I’ve attended is the extra bonuses that Imad can bring.  Nick Bigshot recorded video all weekend, capturing all the best plays and moments the camp had.  He’s the best in the business when it comes to mixtapes and video highlights. I was very fortunate to have an alley-oop between Eman and myself captured on video and posted on Instagram and Twitter.  This just adds to the exposure of the camp.  Another person who really enhanced the camp experience was the therapist who would massage, tape, and help you stretch.  He was there whenever it was needed.  On night one I injured one of my fingers and he showed me how to tape it and keep it in a position that would allow me to still play with minimal pain.  

The weekend stayed competitive throughout all the drills. I love playing 5v5 just as everyone else but some of my favourite games are 3v3, 4v4 and 3 on 2 which we played for part of Saturday and Sunday.  There is a lot more room to open guys up and attack the basket.  This also shows who can play defence and who is willing to move the ball because if someone isn’t passing, it becomes very obvious in advantages scenarios.  Decisions have to also be made on the fly and guys have to communicate better with the faster pace, which I’m a big fan of the fast paced game.  The first time I attended camp there was no 3v3 or 4v4 which is another way to show how the camp has evolved and how Imad is always looking for ways to make players look good and also improve.

Overall, the camp was fun and competitive which was exactly what I wanted.  The coaching I received was outstanding and playing with and against great players is always a good experience, it helps me to improve my game.  In the end, I played well on the Sunday and received one of the camp All-Star awards which I was fortunate to win.  It always feels good to be recognized for anything you do but especially at a high level camp.  I will definitely be looking forward to hopefully another opportunity to play at the Top 40 Camp.  Special thanks goes out to Imad Qahwash for the great camp and Darren Stevenson for the opportunity to write about my experience.

Michael Allen - June 2017