For over 20 years, Statesboro High School basketball coach Lee Hill has passed on his wisdom to novice and experienced basketball players alike at his annual summer basketball camp.
    This year, over 30 players took part in the four-day Lee Hill Basketball Camp. As a 41-year coaching veteran,  Hill said he finds strength in the young players he mentors.
    “I always think about not doing (the camp), but then I have so many kids that want to do it and I think about how their skills get better” Hill said. “I have kids that have been coming since they were four or five years old.  You can really see them improve.”
    Hill said his camp focuses on some of the basics and fundamentals of basketball. Attendees practice for three hours a day from 8-11 a.m.
    "In the camp, some of those kids get to learn how to work as a team. Anything you do you have to be able to work as a team and that's what we try to stress,” Hill said. “Sometimes these kids don't know each other, but before they leave they learn how to work together."
    Hill said teaching young athletes through his camp has kept him going throughout the years. Hill also has former players come back to help instruct.
    “We really work. We work hard every day. Some of the kids are my players and they really enjoy teaching it. They enjoy giving back,” Hill said.
    Cameron Harvey, a current Blue Devil basketball player, went to coach Hill’s camp when he was a five-year-old. As a sophomore, Harvey decided to give back to the camp that made him a better player.
    “It’s always fun to do it even though I’ve done it a couple of times,” Harvey said. “He’s a great coach and it’s a great camp to come, work hard and develop your skills.”
    Harvey plays small forward in Hill’s system and says working with the camp has been a rewarding experience.
    Over the years, phrases like Statesboro High School basketball and Coach Hill have become synonymous. The longtime coaching veteran lead the Blue Devils to a state title in 1991 and finished the 2014-2015 season with an 18-11 record.
    "I have kids who come back and say it’s the best time they had at camp and that's what keeps me going,” Hill said.

    Horace Holloman may be reached at (912) 489-9408.