– It’s crazy how many people are there. Here there are children and young people from the neighborhood, both active players in the club and others who are involved. In the camps we also have players from other clubs and locations. They come from Eidsvoll, Langhus, Kjelsås, Bøler, Ullern, Bislett and Nittedal, says Ellen Hamremoen, manager of the Ammerud basket.
– At Ammerud, we have an offer that no one else can point to during a long summer vacation, she adds.

New groups

Five of the weeks have been so-called “open hall” offers where children and young people can come and play basketball simply on their own initiative. There are six hours in the day and five hours in the evening.
– There were children and young people from 10 to 20 years old. It worked very well under the supervision of the adults in the club. But they are largely organized. They gather in groups and play against each other, and the good thing is that there will be age differences and girls and boys will be together. Then new groups are formed. It changes all the time. Some people prefer to practice shooting alone. There may be two trying to confront each other. They manage themselves well. Never any problems. Only happiness in basketball, smiles Ellen.

free expression

The Open Room is basically a game with basketball and free speech. But it’s also good training, so players train exactly how they want to. The two summer camps are different. There is specific training with well-trained instructors and no less active BLNO players such as Mustapha Dibba, Julie McCarthy, Shiba Ahmadi, Fredrik Tana, Orji Okoroafor and Sasha Polishchuk. Additionally, college players Severine Uggen and Maria Thoresen Myklebust were implicated.

Theoretical recharge

– The summer camps are intended for girls and boys from 13 to 20 years old. Then there is the technical/special training like footwork, passing, defense, team play and everything that is part of basketball. But just as important on such camps is what we call “theoretical complement”. We cover topics such as motivation, personal ambitions, diet, getting enough sleep and health. We also talk about making everything fit together. It means the combination of training, school/homework, family and being with friends. We also discuss how to resolve issues/conflicts within a team that can arise both between players and between player and coach, Ellen explains.

creative people

Outlawing and bullying are also topics discussed.
– We also discussed the reasons why young people stop playing sports. As a club, we are particularly concerned about this. How can we, as a club, solve a rather big problem in all sports? Then, above all, we must not talk to the young people themselves. They are creative young people who often find the solutions themselves. But then they have to talk about it. You have to be aware that as adult coaches/managers, we are important people for young players, and it is often easier for them to talk to us about problems than to their parents, Ellen points out.
– A basketball camp is so much more than learning how to get better at basketball, she adds.

– The Ammerud basket device allows children and young people to have a place of expression throughout the summer. Not everyone has the opportunity to go on vacation. Here they get a safe and pleasant meeting place where they can be with others during the summer holidays – and of course with the great joy of being able to play basketball as a backdrop, Mustapha Dibba said when we told him talked about during the very first indoor week open in the summer.

Experienced top player took over Ammerud

– What Ammerud basketball did all summer is an offer I never got when I was young. It’s really impressive, says Sasha Polishchuk (36).

She is from Ukraine, but moved to Vancouver in Canada when she was young. She played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Gonzaga University’s basketball team in Spokane Washington, USA. There she became one of the big stars of the team. Since then, she has played professional basketball in Germany, Sweden and Ukraine. She also played for the Ukrainian U20 national team.

Young age

– I always had a basketball with me. Even on the way to school and home, I kept playing tricks with it. There was a lot of self-training, and I only had myself to rely on to become a good basketball player at a young age. I could only dream of Ammerud’s basketball program for children and young people. That’s why it’s so nice to be able to attend a camp like this, says Sasha.

A step ahead

She lectured to summer camp attendees about her own story.
– Self-discipline. Get up early, eat, take care of your body, go to school – and always remember to stretch properly. It’s very dull there. You should always reach out, she told camp attendees.
– Train yourself. It’s also being one step ahead of everyone else. You’ll have it again for later in life, both on and off the pitch. You will always be one step ahead of others if you train more than others. It’s up to you, urges Sasha.

International politics

She adds that she can still play at the highest level at 36 because she has always gone the extra mile. And next season, it’s the Ammerud women’s basketball team that will benefit from his skills on the basketball court. In addition, she will coach the girls of Ammerud U14 and U17.
– I already have a bachelor’s degree in international politics. Then I wanted to do a master’s degree in literature and cultural theory. I always wanted to play basketball and was looking for a university in a city where I could pursue my career. So, I ended up in Tromsø where I played for Tromsø Storm combined with my studies.

– Now I moved to Oslo to finish writing my main thesis and I met Ellen by chance. So here I am, laughs Sasha.

At Tromsø Storm, she was a playmaker, a creative player who was particularly good at creating chances and who, with her game, made the other members of the team better. Sasha will be a notable reinforcement for the women of Ammerud basket.