The recognizable squeak of shoe on hardwood resonates throughout the Old Rochester Regional High School gymnasium.  About thirty boys from grades four through nine have assembled for the fifteenth Tri-Town Basketball Camp led by coach Rick Regan.

The camp runs from July 11 – 14 for boys with younger boys in the mornings and older boys in the afternoons.  The camp for girls will be held July 18 – 21 with younger girls in the mornings and older girls in the afternoons.

“We’re doing great,” Regan says in between lessons on dribbling and handling.  “This is our fifteenth year. We serve the tri-town and a lot of summer residents as well.”

The boys return to the court and Regan patiently begins explaining his next lesson.  Moving slowly through the proper and stance and handling technique he pushes the campers from uncoordinated to balanced.

“Square your shoulders, keep your eyes on the prize, everybody get balanced,” Regan calls out across the court.

“Rick’s great with the kids,” says Adam Rogers, the O.R.R. junior varsity boys basketball coach.  “He always has been.  He was my coach back when and I’ve been helping him since I was in college.”

Assisting Regan are Rogers, Jeff Roy, freshmen boys coach from Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School and Mike Pryor, the junior varsity girls coach for New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School. Two former students, Mike Days, now in college, and Matt Beatty, now a senior at O.R.R. round out Regan’s team.

“I did the camp as a kid,” says Beatty.  “I decided to come back and help.”

“We’re here three hours a day, we’re building better players and better skills,” says Regan.

“It’s really fun,” says Gavin Fox, 12, of Mattapoisett.  “I came here last year and it was a great experience.”