Basketball season is still months away, but beginning Monday a pair of area coaches will be putting players through the paces.

Fort Dale Academy head coach Reggie Mantooth and Georgiana School head coach Kirk Norris will each be hosting basketball camps at their respective schools.

The 17th annual Fort Dale Academy Basketball Camp is slated for June 6-9.

Assisting Mantooth will be former Fort Dale standout and current Cottonwood head coach Marshall Watts, and current and former Fort Dale players.

The camp is open to boys ages 6-18 and will be divided into two groups. Campers ages 6-12 will attend the first session from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Campers ages 13-18 will attend the second session from 1:15 p.m. to 4 p.m.

“Campers can expect to have fun while learning the fundamentals of basketball,” Mantooth said. “I really believe that summer basketball camp should be a fun experience for all campers. At the same time we want to make sure they learn the right way to play, along with learning good fundamentals.”

Instruction will focus on fundamental basketball skills, including ball handling, shooting, rebounding, passing and defense. There will also be competitive games and contests.

“I think you see a benefit for kids that have gone to camp in the summer,” Mantooth said.  “The big thing we stress is to take what you learned in camp and go home and work on those skills and drills the rest of the summer, and they will see a big improvement.”

The cost is $60 and included a camp T-shirt. Campers can pre-register at Fort Dale or register the day of the camp.

Norris will be leading the 4th annual Georgiana School Summer Youth Basketball Camp, which will run from June 6-8.

Norris will be assisted by current and former players.

The camp will begin each day at 8 a.m. and will finish at noon.

It is open to boys and girls ages 8-14. The cost if $25 and included a T-shirt.

The camp will teach fundamental skills and feature daily competitions and games including “Gotcha,” “Hot shot,” 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 competitions, as well as a free throw competition.

“We’ll work on fundamentals in the morning, and in the afternoon we’ll play some games that will allow us to use the things we’re worked on and also learn to compete,” Norris said. “We want the camp to be fun, but we also want to introduce kids to the right way to play the game of basketball, and we try to do both of those things.”

During the course of the past four years, Norris has seen noticeable improvment in players that have attended the camp.

“I definitely believe there’s a benefit to coming to camp,” the coach said. “I think you can see improvement in the kids that come to camp and learn good, solid fundamentals and then go home and work on those things. I think the camp gives the kids that come a good foundation to build on.”

Late registration will be held the morning of June 6 before the camp begins, but a T-shirt is not guaranteed for late registrants.

For more information call Norris at (334) 488-4579.