In his sixth decade of being involved in basketball, Lavington's Dale Olson can still create some new tricks.
The now-retired teacher and longtime head coach of the Fulton Maroons senior boy's basketball program in Vernon, Olson is the director of the popular summer Hoops and Hustle Basketball Camp at Fulton, started five decades ago by Olson's predecessor, Bob Shannon.
On this particular Wednesday afternoon, with about 40 campers in attendance, Olson has the kids play a game of Capture the Flag. The campers split into two teams, and 10 "flags," ie, bean bags, were placed on the floor at each end. The object was to continue dribbling the basketball without being touched by an opponent, and grab an opposing bean bag. First team to collect all the bean bags won.
"I just came up with the game this morning," said Olson to co-director, former Canadian men's team member Spencer McKay from Oliver. The pair were teammates on the UVIC Vikings' men's team in Victoria from 1987-89.
McKay teaches basketball skills at his NBN Academy, and is the youth development coordinator with Lake City Basketball in Penticton.
