NBC Camps will offer a Speed Explosion non-contact football camp in Auburn, Washington this summer. Running August 3-6, this camp will feature quickness training by speed expert Mike Nilson and football skill expertise by Troy Halfaday and Darren Erath. NBC Camps will help you get better through outstanding fundamental football skills instruction, speed and agility training, and our patented NBC life skills training.

Troy Halfaday
Former O-Line, D-Line and Receivers coach at Puyallup High School and Rogers High School, Troy is now a junior high coach and teacher. Troy received the Regional (III) Junior High School Head Coach of the Year. Troy was Puyallup High School All-State Player - Center

Darren Erath
Former Quarterbacks Coach and Offensive Coordinator at Rogers High School, Darren is now a junior high coach and teacher. Darren was quarterback for the "Team of the Century" at Western Washington University, National Player of the Week Recipient and Puyallup High School All-State Player-Quarterback. Former Quarterbacks Coach and Offensive Coordinator for Rogers High School


Date and Location
Auburn, WA (Auburn Adventist Academy)
Boys Grades 6, 7 & 8 (2009-2010 School Year)
August 3-August 6 Cost: $345

NBC Camps is proud to have recently acquired Tracy Ellis Ward, the new site director for Whitworth University camps, the NBC Girls basketball director and the vice president of Sports Leadership. Prior to relocating to Spokane, Washington to become the Vice President for Sports Leadership Ministries and Director of Women's Basketball for NBC Camps, Tracy Ellis-Ward served as the first Area Director for New York City Area Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Before her career transition to full-time ministry, Tracy held an executive post at the National Basketball Association, as Senior Director of WNBA Basketball Operations for five years. Before moving into the professional ranks, Tracy worked her way up in the collegiate realm at a Big Ten, Division I institution. She left a noteworthy mark as Assistant Athletics Director at Michigan State University where she was promoted four times in less than seven years and was the youngest, and only African-American female administrator in the department.

Tracy earned her bachelors degree in Art at the University of Missouri, where she was a former All-American in women's basketball and served as team captain. She was part of helping capture two consecutive conference titles during her playing career and still ranks 10th for point average per season (18.5) and stands seventh in field goal shooting percentage (.557) and eighth (707) in all-time career rebounds. Tracy went on to obtain her Masters in Sports Administration from Ohio University. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Tracy has two wonderful children, Gabrielle and Langston and was married to the late Michael J. Ward.

NBC Camps will now open in Edmonton, Alberta Canada at the Kings University College as well as in Walla Walla, Washington at Walla Walla University and in Rocklin, California, 25 minutes from Sacramento, California at William Jessup University.

A basketball all-star and elite camp, complete skills basketball camp and a boys and girls volleyball camp will be featured at the new Edmonton site.

A complete skills basketball and a complete skills soccer camp will be hosted at Walla Walla University and a boys and girls complete skills basketball camp will be located at William Jessup. For more information visit our locations page.

Chase Bircher loved basketball as much as any kid... always dribbling, always playing. Basketball was his passion.

Tragically, Chase drowned four years ago in Ephrata, Washington. In his honor, Chase's family and friends began a program called Hoops in Heaven. The idea is to provide free basketballs to kids whose families cannot afford them. Today Chase's legacy lives on through the countless basketballs that have been sent along to kids in need since his passing. Chase would have turned 16 years old this December.

Chase was an NBC Camper and his story has prompted NBC Camps and Sports Leadership Ministries to spread the word about Hoops in Heaven in addition to donating 100 basketballs to help the project this Christmas.

New basketballs of all kinds may be donated. Please help us spread the joy of basketball to others.

HOW TO DONATE: You can drop off or mail a new, unwrapped basketball to either address listed below, or simply mail a donation check payable to "Hoops in Heaven c/o Wendy Bircher" and all funds will go toward the purchase of new basketballs.

Checks may be written to:
"Hoops in Heaven c/o Wendy Bircher"
11231 161st Ct NE Redmond, WA 98052

Hoops in Heaven Coordinators:
Janet Ozuna, Monica Rucker, Cynthia Morales, and Wendy Bircher

Porch Drop Off Locations:

Janet Ozuna
14416 14th Ave SE (Holly subdivision)
Mill Creek 425.225.5883
ozuna5@msn.com

Aunt Wendy Bircher
11231 161st Ct NE
Redmond 425.883.8727
bircherbunch@comcast.net