If you’ve watched a Bishop Fenwick girls basketball game there are probably a few things that will always catch your eye – heart and hustle. Head coach Adam DeBaggis just completed his 10th annual summer basketball camp for girls aged 9-14 which teaches them the game and improves their skills.
“I started the camp when I was within my first few years of coaching. I wanted to try and grow the program and someone mentioned to me that I should run a camp,” DeBaggis said.
Ever since he started the camp, he’s had a consistent number of participants.
“I think in the first year we had 35-40 kids. This year we had 60. We average probably around 50 kids each year,” DeBaggis said.
DeBaggis mentioned that some campers that he’s coached make their way to Bishop Fenwick and watching them grow as players and people are some of his favorite things about the camp even if they choose a rival school instead.
“A couple of kids on the team now were in this camp a few years ago. I get to see a lot of kids who I might coach in the future and see them grow,” DeBaggis said. “I see them improve throughout the years and it’s great to see that. Sometimes they end up being opponents. We had a couple of girls elsewhere like St. Mary’s where I’ll tease them a little bit, but I still want the same for them to grow and get better. We had a few kids play at Beverly and Peabody too.”
The three players that DeBaggis coached at the camp who now suit up for the Crusaders are Caitlin Boyle, Kyleigh Pidgeon, and Abby Jenkins. DeBaggis spoke about each one and how much they’ve developed.
“Abby and Kyleigh in particular have been there since they were nine years old. Both of them were just little kids who could barely dribble and now are on the varsity team which is cool to see,” DeBaggis said. “Caitlin Boyle right now is getting offers to play at Division I schools and she’s going into her junior year. She was definitely one of the girls I was hoping would eventually come to Fenwick and thankfully she did and she’s a junior captain.”
“I remember Pidgeon being a bit out of control and couldn’t get her skills right. She came to our tryouts last year as a freshman and my assistant coaches and I kept looking at each other and couldn’t believe how much she’s improved,” DeBaggis said.
In addition to developing the players, DeBaggis enjoys getting to know more people around the community.
“I like meeting people from the community. It’s great to meet parents and I can learn more about the kids in the surrounding towns,” DeBaggis said. “We see kids improve so much by the time the end of the camp concludes. I received an email from a camper’s parent who said their kid played with a lot of confidence in their game on Friday. I don’t know how much that is attributed to us, but we strive to make the girls better on the court and also try to teach them life lessons. We talk a lot about what it takes to be a leader and a great teammate. It’s always great to receive those types of emails.”
Although it’s been 10 years of the camp, DeBaggis said this year in particular made him remember how much he loved coaching.
“This year I had this feeling of how much I love coaching. I forgot how much I love coaching and teaching because during the summer as a teacher, [English teacher at Georgetown High] this is my first time where I’m getting back into coaching and teaching since the end of the school year, so when the camp starts, this year particularly, I got a real feeling of love for what I do,” DeBaggis said.
DeBaggis also gave praise to his players who helped him run the camp in addition to some of his assistant coaches: Lianne Mimmo, Bill O’Donnell, Sam Gulla, and Bridget Corcoran.
