Abbeville Wildcats play host to basketball team camp

  The Abbeville Wildcats hosted a two-day team camp in their gymnasium last Monday and Tuesday.
Several local schools and schools from around the state participated.  The Wildcats were joined by Kaplan, VC, Midland, Vanderbilt Catholic, Merryville, Covenant Christian, Lake Charles College Prep, Northside, Jeanerette, Southside, St. Martinville, Cecilia, Comeaux, and Loreauville.
Wildcats head coach Trevor Eaton is in year two of hosting the camp.  He took the idea from North Vermilion coach Jack LeBlanc a few years ago.
“We wanted to bring some attention back to Vermilion Parish when it comes to basketball,” Eaton said.  “The only team doing anything like this in the summer was North Vermilion.  Although it was successful, we needed more.”
What Eaton likes most about the tournament and the summer season is that it allows his kids to play basketball outside of the regular season.
 “Back when I was a kid, we used to play at the park against the older guys,” Eaton said.  “Nowadays, kids don’t play in parks anymore.  My goal was to bring summer basketball back to Abbeville to allow the kids to play more basketball.  We open this gym almost every day now to allow these kids to play basketball and get away from whatever they might be dealing with.  A lot of times, this is their safe haven.”
Another reason Eaton likes the camp is because it keeps his kids focused on academics at school.  If a player is ineligible at the end of the year, they can’t play in the summer.
“The hardest thing is eligibility,” Eaton continued.  “A lot of our kids lose focus after sports are over.  They have to be passing to play in the summer league.  It gives them a reason to stay on top of their books.  It gives them something to look forward to outside of the regular basketball season.”  
The Wildcats finished last season strong, and while they’re still young, Eaton sees tremendous potential in having the same team for the next two years.
 “I’m looking for growth,” Eaton said.  “I know everybody says that, but based on last season, that is very, very important to us. The crop was young.  We got everybody back, and we’ll have the same team for the next two years.  We have the opportunity to be really good.”
“Over these two days, I’m looking for them to be composed in rough situations and get better.  We need to get better mentally and start to understand the game.”