Lady Cats head to Mt. Ida basketball camp.

Orson Park July 23, 2023 Travel

El Dorado Girls Basketball Team Gains Game Experience at Summer Camp

El Dorado’s basketball girls traveled to Mt. Ida on Tuesday to get in a couple summer camp games under new head coach Makara Frazier. The Lady Wildcats had 30 junior high girls and 17 varsity make the trip with Frazier and freshman coach Anthony Farris-King and Barton coach Italei Gray.

Building Team Chemistry and Getting Game Experience

“It was just to get us some more game experience with each other,” said Frazier, who recently replaced Ashlee Curtis. “As you get some turnover and bringing in the ones from the ninth grade squad, just getting them accustomed to playing together, working on getting multiple people comfortable playing with everybody.”

Game Highlights

The Lady Wildcats played Acorn and Perryville. The junior high played Acorn and Waldron.

“We looked like we were on track to being us, very active on defense, had a lot of kids on the court. We’re just getting adjusted to the growing pains of getting people inserted into new roles and having to step up and figure out what we want to do and finding our identity again as a new collective,” said Frazier.

“We looked a lot like what we want to do. We got up and down and played hard on defense. Just working on being a little more together and being cohesive. That comes with time as well.”

Familiarity with the Players

Frazier was on staff last season as the varsity assistant and JV coach. She already has a familiarity with most of the players.

“Our ninth graders, we practiced 9 through 12 all the time so I’m very familiar with those kids. Of the eighth graders, I may not have seen them all year but I knew who they were and I saw them every game and know what they looked like,” she said. “The seventh graders coming in, I had some of them when I was at Washington last year. I know most of them from being at Washington. Knowing the kids, it helps a lot.”

Playing Time Distribution

The games consisted of two 15-minute halves. Even with 30 junior high players, Frazier felt they were all able to get some time on the court.

At the varsity level, she said they played in three-minute rotations.

“We got to rotate them in good. We tried to get everybody about three minutes of playing time,” said Frazier. “In my mind, if we can get to where we have multiple people that can do well and each team is even on the effort and their energy is right and they’re doing things right and playing Lady Cat basketball, go as hard as you can for about three minutes and then let somebody else go. We have a good understanding that everybody is going to get out there and give me what you’ve got.”

Developing Depth and Emphasizing Fundamentals

Building depth at the guard position has been a focus this summer for Frazier, who said fundamentals will continue to be emphasized in the off-season.

“Our focus is getting everybody comfortable with the ball.”