UPBaskbetball Hosts its Second Mini Camp

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By: Andrea Aruino

This past week, UPBasketball hosted its second Mini Camp that works with professional athletes in the NBA, collegiate level, and ranked high schoolers. These camps serve as an opportunity for pro players to get as much one-on-one work with Coach Packie before their seasons take off. It’s an environment full of focused heads who are ready to train and compete to the best of their abilities. This year’s participants included: 2025 NBA Champion Jalen Williams, 2024 Lottery Pick Devin Carter, 2023 NBA Champion Christian Braun, 2022 NBA Champion Gary Payton II, Boss Mhoon (ranked 16th in the class of 2028), AJ Johnson (Wizards SG), and many more. 

Each player came in and had one on one time with Coach Packie where they all had the opportunity to work on skills they’ve been perfecting during the off season. Players would come in for a one hour session where UPBasketball Development Coaches were stationed at one of three hoops. This setup allowed for Coach Packie to float around and touch base with each athlete. Throughout the day, they would come in during the morning for their workouts and come back for a 5 on 5 run that happens in the afternoon. These allow for competitive runs that create game-like situations for them. It also gives them the opportunity to play against high level athletes creating a challenging but rewarding environment. Everyone came in with different aspects of their game that they wanted to sharpen but one common goal amongst all of them was that they simply wanted to get better.

“My goal for this week is to just get better, I can’t currently use my right hand so Packie has been doing a great job of giving me more creative ways to workout and it’s forced me to really work on my left hand game,” Jalen Williams said. 

While athletes are focused on getting their reps in, UPB also prioritizes being able to work on relaxing the mind and body as much as possible. That’s where yoga sessions come in and this year it was led by Lululemon Ambassador Ki Ana Kaleta, who focused on stretching everyone’s body and resting the mind. Along with yoga, UPB ensured that each athlete received personalized physical therapy from Andrew Alcid, helping them prepare their bodies to train effectively and push their limits. 

For the younger athletes in high school and college, being able to attend this camp means being able to get a first hand look at how professional athletes train and what it takes to get to that level. Everyone who was on that court had a goal of making it to a professional league or creating an identity for themselves in the professional league they’re already in. 

“It’s cool being able to play with all the different talents, they’re where I want to be and that’s what I’m here working towards. I’m also excited to work more with Coach Packie, this was my first time but I know I’ll be back here,” Boss Mhoon said. 

This is not only a learning opportunity for the players but it also gives other UPBasketball coaches the chance to experience working with some of the best basketball players in the world. Some of UPB’s coaches also joined in on the runs allowing them to put the work that they teach on display. Coach Corey who was a key part in the seamless process of these workouts honed in on the smaller aspects of each player’s game as well as touching on the holistic goals of each athlete. Since each player had different goals, Coach Corey as well as Coach Colby were accustomed and knew how to approach each player at the level they were working at. 

“During the camp, I’m just focused on getting better. I’m coming into my second year as a player and I want to be able to help my team out in whatever way I can however that may look,” Cody Williams said. 

Many returning players who have worked with Coach Packie for a while, came here to work out, but basketball aside, they came back to the gym just to be around the atmosphere that this facility brings. Coach Packie has the ability to create long lasting relationships built on love for the game and comraderie with every person he trains. 

“I’ve been training with Packie for about four years now, and it’s great. He knows how to help me out and even when I’m far away and on the road, he’s always just a call or text away if I had a bad game or a good game. I know I can depend on him in those ways,” Christian Braun said. 

It’s an honor having many returners come to this mini camp as well as newcomers who are ready to put the work into becoming the best player they can be. Each of the athletes that came this week have shown much promise not only through their workouts but also through their mentality when training. There’s no doubt that everyone who attended will make noise and be a crucial part of the teams that each of them play for.