MHS hosts Little M-ette Basketball Camp

The Malta M-ettes Basketball team hosted their annual Little M-ette Camp last week with a total of 50 campers present.

The three-day camp started on Monday, June 22, and concluded on Wednesday, June 24. The event was for girls in third grade to eighth grade. Malta Head Coach Nate Hammond led the camp with assistant coaches Shane Anderson and Mardee Scott. The coaches were also joined by MHS graduate Kelbee Denham, and current M-ettes Erica Smith and Kylie Hunter.

"I think camp went great," Coach Hammond told the PCN. "A lot of kids are enthusiastic to be able to do something and we have had the highest turnout that we have ever had at this camp since I have been here."

He said that the campers were excited and that he had fun working with this year's group.

The PCN caught up with seventh-graders Kennedy Simonson of Whitewater and Emree Stuart of Malta.

"It's a lot of fun," Simonson said. "I like coming here every year. I learn something new every time. I am glad to get to see people now especially with everything going on."

Simonson said that at this year's camp she learned how to handle the ball more confidently, which is something that she had struggled with. She also said that her team usually puts her in the post, a spot that she enjoys playing.

Whereas Simonson had been used in the post with her team in past years, Stuart has been a forward or "wing" in her previous experiences.

"I think that it has been really fun and I have been learning a lot more this year," Stuart said. "It's a lot more fun than being stuck at home. We are getting to see all of our friends and people that we haven't seen for a while."

Stuart said that she had been working on her jump shot by playing one of the camp's favorite games, Hotshot, as well as working on her free throws.

To help pass the time during the Coronavirus closings, Simonson stayed busy on the family ranch. Both Simonson and Stuart had family get-togethers planned in the next couple of weeks.

Campers learned and developed their game under the watching eyes of the Malta coaching staff as well as the high school M-ette counselors who helped coach several stations. Coach Hammond gave the camp coaches and counselors room to introduce their own ways of teaching.

"I like to give the coaches a little bit of freedom to do what they want to do," Coach Hammond said. "I tell them to give a little guidance and let the coaches come up with their own things. It keeps the camp a little fresh and it welcomes new ideas and ways of doing things."

The campers each had the chance to win awards in three categories; Hot Shot, Free Throw, and One vs. One.

The champions were: 3rd Grade: Hot Shot: Meg Simonson 25, Free Throw: Saterah Pekovitch 13/30, One vs. One: Tessa Simonton 4. 4th Grade: Hot Shot: Hadley Hammond 64, Free Throw: Sienna Simanton 16/30, One vs. One: Ainsley Erickson 12. 5th Grade: Hot Shot: Gracie Wasson 51, Free Throw: Gracie Wasson 17/30, One vs. One: Gracie Wasson 25. Sixth Grade: Hot Shot: Emerson Downing 52, Free Throw: Tailynn Wilke 18/30, One vs. One: Tailynn Wilke 26. 7th Grade: Hot Shot: Neva Jacobson 58, Free Throw: Neva Jacobson 20/30, One vs. One: Denver Tuss 42. 8th Grade: Hot Shot: Jessa Erickson 84, Free Throw: Eva Yeadon, One vs One: Shelby LaBrie 26.

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