Origins of the Milwaukee Bucks Camps
At the center of this movement was Ron Blomberg, who developed day camps throughout Wisconsin in the late ‘60’s. Blomberg became AD at Beaver Dam’s Wayland Academy under headmaster, Ray Patterson.
When the Milwaukee Bucks became an expansion team in 1968-9, Patterson was picked as the President of the Bucks. Patterson developed the idea of building interest in the Bucks by establishing youth overnight camps throughout the Midwest. Patterson enlisted Blomberg to establish these camps. Blomberg selected Jerry Sullivan from South Milwaukee HS to be the Associate Director starting in 1971. Both coaches were Wisconsin HOF coaches, with Sullivan winning the Wisconsin State Championship in 1976. Not only did they know basketball, they knew how to run great basketball skills camps.
32 Years, 11 States, 70,000 Campers
For 32 years, Blomberg and Sullivan ran overnight camps for players from 9 to 18 years old. Their camps spread from Wisconsin, to Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, Indiana, and Michigan. It is estimated that during the 32 years over 500 coaches and 70,000 players attended these camps.
Each week of camp had about 10 high school coaches serving as coaches for the players, and guest speakers were brought into speak to the campers too. Legends of the game of basketball spoke at the Bucks Camps- Al McGuire, John Wooden, Adolph Rupp, George King, Lou Henson, Hubie Brown, Larry Costello, Rick Majerus, Oscar Robertson, and Jon McGlocklin.
Knox Workout Turns into Bucks Invite
It doesn’t seem like there should be a connection between Galesburg and the Milwaukee Bucks. In 1969, one of Harley Knosher’s Knox teams had stopped at Wayland Academy to work out before a road game. While there, Ron Blomberg as AD asked if Knosher would be interested in hosting a Milwaukee Bucks Camp at Knox College. Harley thought it was a great idea, and the first Knox College Milwaukee Bucks Camp started in June of 1970.
Later in the 1970’s, the coach who had followed Coach Knosher at Northwestern approached him about starting girls camps at Knox. These camps were run by the Medalist company that ran camps and clinics throughout the U.S. Eventually Medalist camps merged and both the boys and girls camps became Milwaukee Bucks Camps.
When both the Bucks Camps got going full swing at Knox, there were five weeks of basketball camps on the Knox campus. Three weeks of boys and two weeks of girls brought between 400-500 campers to Galesburg. The camps ran Sunday thru Saturday with the campers being housed in Knox dorms.
Intense Days, Elite Campers
The basic schedule each day was something like this:
8:00am- Breakfast
8:45am- Guest Speaker
9:30am- Skills Stations
11:00am- Group Practices
Noon- Lunch
1:00pm- Guest Speaker
1:45pm- Skills Stations
2:30pm- Group Practices
3:30pm- Team Games
5:00pm- Supper
6:00pm- Team Games
8:00pm- Speaker
During the initial years, the camps brought in some high level high school players looking for an opportunity to improve their skills. Coach Knosher’s college roommate brought his girls team from Leland, Michigan, which eventually won a State title in Michigan. A team from Traverse City, Michigan also came. East St. Louis that was a perennial State power in Illinois camp came to Knox. The E. St. Louis team included future Olympian, Jackie Joyner-Kersey. The “camp counselors” included a future All-American Nora Lewis.
Who Will Wear #14 for the Bucks?
Speakers at the Knox camps included Junior Bridgeman, Jerry Sloan, Jack Sikma, Tom Boerwinkle, Rick Majerus, Hubie Brown, Larry Costello, Jon McGlocklin, and Oscar Robertson. Each of them would speak to the camper 45-60 minutes. While the speakers were there to instruct the players, it served as a clinic for the high school coaches working the camp. Coaches would take a notebook out and take notes as these legends spoke to the campers, and demonstrated drills and skills with the players.
Coach Knosher related one of the most unusual events to occur at the Knox-Bucks Camps. After the Bucks traded to pick up Oscar Robertson- Oscar, Jon McGlocklin, and coach Larry Costello all came down to Knox together that summer. After Oscar got done speaking, they opened it up for questions from the young campers. A young grade school age player bravely raised his hand and asked, “You were #14 for Cincinnati Royals last year, and Jon McGlocklin was #14 for the Bucks last year. Who is going to be #14 for the Bucks this year?”
Harley Knosher was sitting next to coach Larry Costello and said he heard a gulp from Costello. It obviously was sensitive topic and something that had not been worked out yet. After a long pause, Oscar pointed at McGlocklin and said, “Jon is #14 for the Milwaukee Bucks.” So perhaps a young Bucks camper in 1970 at Knox may have settled an issue for the Bucks. Milwaukee did win the NBA title in 1971 with #14 McGlocklin and #1 Robertson.
When asked his favorite speakers, Coach Knosher said that there were a lot of favorites but three that he dwelled on were Jon McGlocklin, Rick Majerus, and Chips Giovanine. He described McGlocklin as “beyond belief that a pro would treat each kid like he loved them all.” With Majerus, he said, “Wonderful speaker, he loved to teach fundamentals and would go on and on.” Chips Giovanine started out as a group coach and became the camps shot doctor. He would spend an entire days talking about shooting and working with shooters.
Shooting for Susan B. Anthony’s
For all the great speakers, what made the Knox Camps special was Harley Knosher. He did everything with energy and enthusiasm. He made sure the campers paid attention and worked hard, but he also made sure they had fun.
** By 7pm on the first Sunday, he knew the name of every camper.
** He got “cool” JH and HS students to compete to focus and compete.
** He would give an evening lecture and the tired campers would hang on his every word for 30 minutes.
** “Battle of Sexes” where Coach Knosher had male demonstrators brought by Coach Giovanine have a free throw shoot off vs. the female counselors. Coach Knosher encouraged the female campers to harass the male shooters as much as possible as they shot. One year it came down to Allison Hart (Richwoods-Duke) vs Bob Prusator (Buda Western-Knox). Prusator won but commented,”That was more pressure than any shot in the State Tourney.”
** Campers could come back early one evening after supper and shoot for dollars. Coach Knosher laid out silver dollars on the floor, if a camper made a free throw and the ball hit one of the dollars, it was their’s to keep.
Coaches Clinic Like No Other
Coach Knosher was not just coaching the campers. He was a mentor to many, many coaches who were working. If a coach needed advice, he listened and gave them counsel. He constantly threw out “Harleyisms” that would make coaches better coaches and better people. For me, having played in college for Coach Knosher, it was a great week to reconnect.
One of the worst experiences a camp coach could have was when you were assigned to coach a team in a game, and Coach Knosher was coaching the opposing team. No one could match his level of enthusiasm. The opposing team would always respond and play so much harder than you could get your own team to play. At a certain point your own team would look helplessly at you and have a look that said, “Why couldn’t I have gotten Coach Knosher for my coach instead of you?”
For young coaches, it was an incredible experience. You listened to great speakers, and you were surrounded by other great young, high school coaches. During meals and in the evenings, you were able to talk basketball. It might be a chance to pick other coaches minds about their practice organization, their press break, or what they ran vs. a zone defense. On more than one occasion a group of coaches would talk thru the night, and go to a local diner for a 4am breakfast.
For me, it was working these camps that I met Dan Sullivan. Dan was boys coach at Brimfield and Princeville. He was the son of the director, Jerry Sullivan. Dan had grown up on the Bucks Camp circuit and had heard 100’s of camp speakers. He had a wealth of basketball knowledge. Spending several weeks with Dan in the summer at the camps had a huge impact on my coaching.
Sadly the young coaches today don’t get the opportunity for the camp experience that my generation enjoyed.
Coach Knosher Changed Lives
I can’t imagine a better camp director than Coach Knosher. I asked Coach about how much joy he got running the camps. His reply,”The girls were a hell of lot more fun than the boys to work with. I felt so much responsibility, especially with dorms and the overnight aspect. I was happy once the last camp finished each year. When each session got over, looking back, I loved what the camps stood for and what the camps meant to a lot of good people. While the camps were in session, it was a lot of pressure.”
I can guarantee that each summer around 500 players and 30 coaches had a positive experience. They left the camps as better players, better coaches, and better people.
I had the fortune to have Harley Knosher as my college basketball coach, as my teacher in “Philosophy of Athletics” and “Coaching Basketball”, he hired me for my first coaching job as Knox Women’s coach, and then was my boss at the Knox-Bucks Camps. Some of the most valuable experiences of my life and some of the best times of my life!
Here are some other links about the Bucks Camps
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