Chuck Hayes’ basketball camp looks to give kids a solid foundation

It’s hard to say that Chuck Hayes would have benefited from participating in basketball camps when he was a youngster.

After all, the former Modesto Christian star did just fine without them. His storied prep career earned him a scholarship to the University of Kentucky and, after that, a career in the NBA.

But then again …

“For the longest time, I couldn’t make a left-handed layup for anything,” said Hayes, who played just two games for the Houston Rockets this past season before being waived in November. “And shooting was always a weakness of mine. If camps had been available to me, they might have helped me set a better foundation earlier.”

And that is why Hayes is so committed to his basketball camp and his AAU teams – to give kids a better foundation.

The third annual Chuck Hayes Summer Slam Basketball Camp will be held June 6-9 at Modesto Junior College at a cost of $155. Register before April 30 and a special promotional code (chuck44) will reduce the price by $25.

The morning session, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., is for kids in kindergarten through fourth grade. Grades 5 through 8 will work out from noon to 3 p.m. and high school-aged players from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Hayes will be there all four days, for all three sessions, putting kids through their paces and sweating through his workout gear. You can sign up by visiting www.chuckhayescamp.com.

“With the Tater Tots, that’s what I call the youngest group, we focus on dribbling and passing,” said Hayes, who resides in Houston and splits time between Texas and California during the AAU season. “At that age, you’re not going to be a great shooter, but if you can dribble, you can separate yourself.”

Grades 5-8 has been the camp’s biggest group.

“We focus on team play at that level,” said Hayes. “At that age, they all want to go one-on-one, but we teach them ball movement and body movement.

“With the high school kids, we want to develop smart play. It’s more about the mental aspect. We will do some development work, but we focus on how they should think about the possession and how to read the play.”

In other words: fundamentals, the hallmark of Hayes’ game.

A native of San Leandro who grew up in Oakland before relocating to Modesto at age 11, Hayes was the quintessential NBA tweener. At 6-foot-6 with an inconsistent jumper, there was no natural position for him in the NBA. And yet, he carved out an 11-year career by being a tougher-than-you, smarter-than-you type.

But if Hayes had been a better shooter or ball handler, he might have had a different pro career.

As it stands now, Hayes is contemplating retirement.

“I’ve got one foot in and one foot out,” said Hayes, whose best season was 2010-11, when he averaged 7.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Rockets. “If the phone rings and some team is looking for a veteran, I’m there. If not, I’d like to get into coaching.”

Hayes has begun dabbling in coaching with his Chuck Hayes Basketball AAU teams, which range from 10-under to 17-under. Eventually, he’d like to land a job on an NBA bench.

“I had an opportunity to coach with Houston, but I turned it down,” said Hayes. “Right now, I want to get the AAU program and camp going, and then get a coaching job.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 3:49 PM with the headline "Chuck Hayes’ basketball camp looks to give kids a solid foundation."