Sam Yocum with Coach Cal. (photo submitted)
By SAM YOCUM, age 9
For the second year in a row, my dad and I went to Coach Cal’s Father and Son Camp. It is our new Father’s Day tradition. My sister had a summer league basketball game, so we didn’t get to camp until about 2:45. We went through all of the registration stuff , like getting our room. Our room was on the 17th floor of Kirwan Tower. We had a view of the new track, the baseball field, and the practice football field. After we put our stuff away, it was time for autographs.
Because we had been there last year, we knew we had start with getting our picture with Coach Cal and the championship trophy. I had gotten my picture with the trophy when Cal brought it to Frankfort but this time was much cooler. I made sure that I took my “No One Gr8ter” Hat to get autographed. Cal signed it before we took our picture with the trophy. I then got Coach Robic to sign my hat and he told us some players would be there soon.
I was the first one to see Ryan Harrow and got his autograph. I got autographs from Jarrod Polson, Brian Long and Twany Beckham. My dad spotted Jon Hood, so we got his autograph. We talked to him about our friend, J.T. Riddle that plays on the U.K. baseball team. They bowl together and hang out. At dinner before our first session, I got Perry Stevenson’s autograph. I have actually played Wii with Perry in my living room when he worked for my dad, so it was cool to catch up with him.
We went to our first session and we were in the yellow group. Coach Rod Strickland was our coach, along with Brian Long and some of the managers. We did drills and had competitions against each other. Coach Cal talked to us a little bit and Mr. Butler from the compliance office talked to us about NCAA rules. After our session, we had pizza and got to watch the players scrimmage. Because of NCAA rules, all of the coaches had to leave, so it was just the campers and players in the gym.
The scrimmage was awesome. Alex Poythress hit his first 7 or 8 shots. Archie Goodwin and Ryan Harrow having some amazing hops. Willie Cauley-Stein can really run. Jon Hood looked good too. Nerlens Noel wasn’t there yet. Coach Robic had told us that Kyle Wiltjer was at his sister’s wedding. I think Ryan Harrow and Nerlens Noel will be my new favorite players.
On Saturday we got to go to Memorial Coliseum for our workouts. We did drills and had more competitions. Most of the dads were moving really slowly. It was funny. When we were done, Coach Strickland took us on a tour of the locker room. Dad took my picture sitting on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist’s and Anthony Davis’s stools by their lockers!
We had our afternoon session in the Johnson Center and it was nice. Dad and I did really well in the competitions. Dad let me do all of the shooting. Some dads didn’t let their kids do anything. You didn’t win anything but a trophy, but oh well. Dad talked to Coach Cal for a long time about where an Orange Leaf needs to go in Frankfort. Mom said we had to find out when was coming.
We had our closing stuff and Coach Cal talked to us for about 30 minutes. He talked to us about how the team sacrificed and played for each other and not themselves. He told us how all 6 of the players will be drafted. It was really cool.
I can’t wait until next year for camp again. It’s a great way for my dad and I to get to do something together. I love my dad for taking me every year.
6 Responses to My Father’s Day with Dad at Coach Cal’s Father and Son Camp
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Awesome is all I can say for Mr. Yocum to take Sam there.
agree 100 percent P90XDude
As your favorite (?) next door nieghbor (old people division), it’s so cool to see you grow up and do really neat things. Take care and keep up the good work.
Mr. Dukes
Years from now, the time spent at Father-Son bbll camp will be some of Sam’s fondest memories of time spent with his dad…I am sure that dad will cherish them as well. Thanks for sharing this story with your readers Larry!
You are right – These are great memories for dad as well!
Last year’s B-Ball season produced many highlights but the game that my son “invited” me to attend was one of my favorites. I was surprised that he would want to take “old” Dad & not one of his friends.
Good job Sam! Enjoyed your article.
Larry: My eight year old son and I echo the sentiments of the Yocum’s about this year’s father and son camp. It was an experience we will never forget. Coach Cal and Coach Robey, along with all the players and Camp Commissioners, were wonderful, the war approachable and friendly, and made all of us feel special. But it was watching my son’s eyes light up and seeing the smile that seemed plastered to his face during the entire camp that made it so special. This is his second Coach Cal camp. Last year we missed the cut-off for the father – son registration, but got him into the Pro Camp, which was a tremendous experience for him. But we wanted to do the father-son camp and made sure that we registered in plenty of time this year. My son, like all our family, bleeds blue, and he tells me that his goal is to become the first Vietnamese-American basketball player for the Cats (he’ll need some height). He’s a dead-eye shot like Dampier and Goose, and despite having to carry his old man, we won the free-throw shooting contest for our group at camp. He made 18 in a row without a miss. Not a bad start for him; now if he’ll only grow to about 6’5″. . . .