For five consecutive summers, Scranton Prep’s girls basketball coach Bob Beviglia has opened the gym doors to a growing cadre of aspiring athletes, and this year’s edition drew more than 60 players from across northeastern Pennsylvania. The camp, rooted in the same fundamentals that shaped Beviglia as a youngster, blends skill drills with a culture of mentorship that has become a hallmark of the program.
Legacy of Learning
What sets the camp apart is the presence of alumni who have taken the court at the highest levels of collegiate and professional basketball. Rachel Rose, who starred at USC Upstate, Wofford and Clemson before turning her focus toward nursing, and Cecelia Collins, a Bucknell graduate now playing professionally in Bochum, Germany, returned to share the lessons that carried them from local courts to international stages.
Rose spoke of the unwavering support she received from the Scranton community throughout her academic and athletic career, emphasizing that the same encouragement can propel the next wave of talent. Collins, reflecting on her own path from Bucknell to the professional ranks, urged the campers to view every practice as an opportunity to model resilience and ambition.
Both former standouts highlighted the broader surge of girls’ basketball in the region, noting that camps like this one serve as incubators for players who aspire to earn scholarships at top universities and, ultimately, professional contracts. Their messages resonated with participants who see in them a tangible roadmap from high school gyms to NCAA arenas and beyond.
The event also underscored the collaborative spirit of local institutions, from Scranton Prep to universities such as USC Upstate, Wofford College, Clemson University, Columbia University and Bucknell University, each of which continues to nurture talent that returns to give back to the community that helped shape them.