Affordable option

WASILLA — Angie Johnson almost hates to admit it.

As her daughter Jenna was blossoming into of Alaska’s top girls basketball products in recent memory, the prospect of sending the young player to Outside camps and tournaments to be seen by college scouts and coaches was simply too expensive.

“We checked into a lot of camps, but we never could send her when she was younger,” Angie Johnson said of her daughter, the former Wasilla High School star who will be a freshman at Division I Utah State this fall.

But thanks to the work of a pair of Southcentral Alaska coaches and the women’s basketball staff at Utah State, local players had the chance this week to be taught by a Division I coach without even leaving the state.

Raegan Pebley, a former player in the Women’s National Basketball Association and the current head coach of the Utah State Aggies, led a two-day clinic at the AT&T Sports Center on Friday and Saturday.

“For Alaska, it’s a huge deal,’ said Greg Ray, who along with Ryan Hales brought Pebley to Alaska to coach at the camp sponsored by their organization, Alaska Premier Basketball Academy.

Pebley and her assistant at Utah State, Erin Scholz, spent four hours on Friday evening and more than seven hours on Saturday with a group of Alaska boys and girls who ranged in age from 8-18.

“I think it’s huge that they’re willing to come up and see our Alaska kids and instruct our Alaska kids,” Hales said.

Pebley, who was also spent time as a Division I assistant at George Mason University and Colorado State, made her first trip to Alaska last fall while she was recruiting Johnson. When Hales approached Pebley about the idea of running a camp in the 49th state, she was excited about the chance.

“One conversation led to another,” Pebley said. “I think our philosophies on how we run our camps fit with the Alaska Premier Basketball Academy. It’s a good opportunity for everyone.”

Pebley said she also understands the predicament Alaska athletes and parents face, with the potential cost of more than $1,000 to attend an Outside camp.

“In today’s economy, money spent on extracurricular activities needs to go as far as it possibly can,” Pebley said. “We want to give them the best

experience and coaching we can.”

The cost of the camp was $125 for two days. APBA invited Yakima Community College coach Cody Butler to Alaska earlier this year, and hopes to host a similar clinic in August.

Although there is still a fee, the cost is significantly less than an Outside camp, Ray said.

“It’s an unbelievable bargin,” Ray said. “It’s an ideal setting. Kids get Regan Pebley’s personal attention.”

The biggest thing, Angie Johnson said, is camps like this gives the average family the opportunity to exposure their children to college coaches.

“For just $100 you can do that,” Johnson said, noting the need for not only the camp fees and money for room and board, but also the funds for an expensive plane ticket out of Alaska. “For $700-$800 you can’t.”

Hales and Ray take players on the Alaska Lady Hoops girls all-star team and the Alaska Flight boys all-star team to various Outside tournaments throughout the year. But to make that happen, the group has to vigerously fund-raise.

“We really try to live off the support of the community,” Hales said. “We try to go as dirt cheap as possible. If a kid can’t go on a trip, they could lose their opportunity.”

The tournaments and clinics have more of an emphasis than skills and fundamentals. For many, it leads to the chance to play college basketball.

Hales said the 6-year-old girls traveling team has already led to about 17 players earning the chance to play college basketball. With continued support of the community, Hales hopes the non-profit APBA can continue to send players to outside tournaments and lure Division I coaches to Alaska.

“We’re starting to have some success with our kids,” Hales said. “Hopefully it’s opening the door for us to invite some more of our contacts up here.”