The 5 Life-Altering Journeys Players Go on During a PGC Basketball Camp

Each player who attends PGC embarks on a journey. One that can change them forever.

Hear me out…

Some have called PGC, “Navy Seal training for young people” or a “Tony Robbins seminar for basketball players.” And they’re not far off. Because when your child attends a 5-day camp, they get around like-minded people all looking to improve at this thing they love called…

Basketball.

It’s almost like they’re entering a totally different world, designed to make them a better player and person.

In fact, when they attend, they actually enter five separate journeys without even knowing it.

Here they are:

1. The Physical Journey
2. The Mindset Journey
3. The Social Journey
4. The Leadership Journey
5. The Emotional Journey

Now, I’m going to explain these, but know this:

There’s few places on earth where players experience the range of emotions, obstacles, learning, growth, and friendships than when they attend PGC, or any camp for that matter.

Because attending a camp is unlike most experiences we have in life. It’s immersive. It’s educational. It’s designed for growth. It’s usually away from home — isolated from any bad habits or toxic behaviors.

With that being said, let’s talk about the five journeys a player goes on at PGC.

We’ll start with Journey #1 — The Physical Journey.

Here’s what I mean: When the players leave camp,

They play differently.

They develop their skills, basketball IQ, and playmaking ability to help them become a completely different player.

Not only that, they develop habits that — through five days — get ingrained into their DNA and stick with them throughout their basketball career.

Habits like playing off two feet. Habits like driving through contact, on balance, while maintaining vision. Training habits that will set players up for future success.

Now, we often get the question, how do players “get there” in just five days?

The truth is…

…it’s the quality of game-like reps they get throughout the week, which are then reinforced through teachings in the classroom, film sessions, and specially designed competitions.

There’s no other place on the planet to get this many quality game-like reps in such a short time-span. The next best option is having a personal trainer (which is a good option).

The problem is, most training sessions are only 60-90 minutes. And when they’re done, players’ go back to their everyday life doing homework, playing video games, and doing chores around the house (or at least you hope they do those chores 😉 ).

At PGC, they’ll be in the gym 3 times a day, for 6 hours a day, for 5 days straight. There’s no school work to do or Fortnite to go home too.

Now typically, the physical journey is what most camps and personal trainers spend the majority of their time on — which is good.

But at a PGC camp, it doesn’t stop there.

Not even close.

JOURNEY #2 – The Mindset Journey

If the physical journey is, they play differently.

In the mindset journey,

They think differently.

For the player and attending coaches, they learn a new way of being — on and off the court. It’s a new way of seeing their training and their career. It’s a new way of thinking about their teammates, referees, and coaches.

It’s a new way of handling setbacks and failures. Mistakes and successes.

It’s a new way of approaching their schoolwork and their life.

And in five days, players discover what the pursuit of excellence actually looks like.

Now, how do we ensure players grow in all of these areas?

Well, it starts with our staff. We scour the country looking for the most inspiring coaches in the world.

They’re the models who show players how to develop unshakable confidence. How to recover from setbacks and slumps. How to develop a mental strength that can withstand even the most difficult circumstances.

Our directors are trained to teach basketball, of course. But even more important, they’re trained to help these players develop an aspirational vision of who they can become as people.

JOURNEY #3 – The Social Journey

If the physical journey is, they play differently.
And the mindset journey is, they think differently.

In the social journey,

They relate differently.

Players develop self-confidence by stretching outside their comfort zone.

This is done through leadership training, evaluation games, partner feedback, meals with teammates, small group work, demonstrations on court, class participation, and being placed on teams with less or more experienced players.

They’re getting stretched in terms of age diversity, ethnic diversity, and experience diversity. We put players (safely) in situations some have never seen before, in order to grow them.

We want them to experience these moments during their five days with us, so they’re equipped to go back home a more diverse player and person.

It’s more than basketball. It’s life training.

I always enjoy the moments that happen during checkout…

Everyone is grabbing their luggage, about to head out.

And multiple parents will inevitably come over and say, “I don’t know what you did to my kid, but they already seem different.”

“What was the difference?” I think.

Well, was it the physical journey? No, they haven’t seen that. Was it the mindset journey? They probably haven’t picked up on that yet.

But their child is walking and talking with a new level of confidence and self-esteem. A new level of “shoulders back and head high.”

And this is the piece parents can usually pick up right away.

Journey #4 – Leadership Journey

If the physical journey is, they play differently.
The mindset journey is, they think differently.
And the social journey is, they relate differently.

The leadership journey is, (and nothing crazy here)…

They lead differently.

They’ll discover a 6-part leadership framework that will stick with them for the rest of their life. They can use it in sports, business, school, and around family.

They leave at the end of the week having developed leadership qualities all good coaches and parents want on their teams and in their families.

Players know how to bring spirit and energy to any environment. They know the importance of communicating by using someone’s name and looking them in the eye. They know how to hustle and have an eagerness to learn. They know how to approach things with the mentality of a no-excuse champion.

They know how to be precise — doing things with a ridiculous attention to detail, no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient it may be. They know how to communicate with difficult teammates and how to have a conversation with a coach about playing time.

They know how to live the rest of their life as a leader people actually want to follow.

And finally…

They know how to walk into any room and leave it better than they found it.

Our camp directors are equipped with an innovative curriculum designed to teach players all of this.

And not only that…we train our team to constantly look for teachable moments throughout camp.

Whether it’s on court, in the cafeteria, on a walk, or in the classroom — we’re always on the lookout, because we realize the ball stops bouncing for everyone at some point.

And those habits players have in moments that don’t seem like they matter, are the same habits that’ll show up during the most important moments of their life.

And that’s how they learn to become a leader people actually want to follow.

JOURNEY #5 – Emotional Journey

If the physical journey is, they play differently.
And the mindset journey, is they think differently.
And the social journey is, they relate differently,
And the leadership journey is, they lead differently.

In the emotional journey…

They feel differently.

It’s not just making these athletes better basketball players — it’s connecting with their hearts and spirits. And this happens through moments of vulnerability. First, from the camp director. Then, the players.

It happens through stories told in class. Conversations had at lunch. Moments when our directors (who are all highly accomplished players and teachers) share their struggles as players.

They talk about where they went off course. The slump they were in. The difficult coach they played for. And how they redirected and got back on course.

It’s letting the players in, behind the scenes on how these things work. Really, how life works.

Because the truth is…

…no one’s perfect. Everyone’s struggling with something. And we all need help handling past challenges and future obstacles.

These moments and breakthroughs typically come later in the week. Because these players have been together, in the thick of it, experiencing the highs and the lows. Laughing like crazy…and occasionally crying too.

It’s the human experience.

It’s the experience no AAU game or personal trainer can give you in 60 minutes. It’s the experience you can’t get at school.

It’s truly the power of camps.

They change people when done right.

If you went to camp as a young person, you remember that experience. Those friendships. The late nights with people you had never met, who quickly became lifelong friends.

Few times in life do you fully immerse yourself in an experience. There’s usually just too much going on.

The phones are buzzing. The school work’s calling. And the friends are texting. You know how it goes.

And when a young person does step into an experience like this, they change. It’s nearly impossible to attend something like PGC and come out the other side the exact same person.

And like any good movie, you don’t get to those special moments in the first 10 minutes. Or in this case, even the first two days.

But the feeling they walk away with after 5 days is, “I’m different.”

In closing…

I wish every young person—not just basketball players—could have this experience.

I was fortunate to attend PGC in high school and I experienced the transformation first-hand. It’s why I’m so grateful to now lead this organization.

It’s why I’m excited for the 12,000 players who will attend this year and experience these five journeys.

Because I know, countless young people will be changed forever.

And they’ll go on to become doctors, teachers, artists, pro athletes, nurses, accountants, content creators, lawyers, police officers, and leaders in their community.

And for us to be a part of their growth is something that touches my heart and fills me with gratitude.

If you know an athlete who would benefit from an experience like this, we’d be honored to have them join us at a PGC camp.

For the love of the game,

Mano

P.S. If you’re interested in enrolling your son or daughter in a PGC camp, this link is a good place to start 🙂 – www.pgcbasketball.com/schedule-locations.