HOOP ACADEMY BASKETBALL
Summer Slam @ FES is paused for 2025!!
After three amazing summers at Franklin Elementary School, The Hoop Academy will not be hosting camp at Franklin in the summer of 2025.
This decision did not come easily. Over the past three summers, we’ve had the privilege of coaching hundreds of young athletes at FES and forming strong partnerships within the community. We’re especially proud to have donated over $5,000 toward the new playground, with our name now on a piece of equipment we helped bring to life.
Due to new administrative policies and approaches that differ significantly from what we’ve worked with in the past, we’ve decided to pause camp at Franklin for this summer. These changes have made it difficult to provide the kind of smooth, student-centered experience we expect at every Hoop Academy event.
We want to extend some very important thank-yous:
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To the teachers at Franklin: Your consistent support, positivity, and dedication over the past three summers have not gone unnoticed. We admire the way you show up for your students every day, even amidst the many challenges that come with the job. It’s been an honor to work alongside such a committed group of educators.
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To the fantastic support staff: From custodians to office personnel and everyone in between—thank you for your kindness, your flexibility, and the many things you’ve done to help make our camps feel so welcome and well-run behind the scenes.
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To the Franklin PTO: Your partnership has always reflected a shared vision of doing what’s best for kids. We appreciate your continued efforts to support students and families in ways that go far beyond expectations, especially during times when that vision may not be universally shared.
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To the parents, families, and campers: Your support over the past three summers has meant everything. From early drop-offs to cheering in the gym, you've helped create something truly special. We hope to see many of you at one of our other locations this summer.
What happens next:
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All campers already registered for Franklin will be guaranteed a spot at our Griswold camp week.
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Registered campers will be contacted individually if they haven’t already.
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The two scholarship spots being offered by the Franklin PTO at their silent auction will still be fully honored and redeemable at any of our available locations.
This isn’t goodbye. It’s see you soon at another Hoop Academy camp—and we’ll continue working toward a return to Franklin in the future.
—The Hoop Academy Team
www.thehoopacademy.com
If you need to make a payment, Venmo is preferred:
@HoopAcademy, verification digits are 2881
🏀 Important Announcement from The Hoop Academy 🏀
We want to take a moment to clarify some changes regarding our name and identity. For a time, we partnered with The Hoop House in Norwich, and during that partnership, we renamed our AAU division to The House Basketball Club. However, The Hoop House closed in August 2024, and we’ve noticed some ongoing confusion about the name.
To make things clear, in the coming months we will be transitioning back to calling our AAU program Hoop Academy Basketball. If you have any question about any teams or programs, your point of contact is Coach George Hardison at (860) 625-4968 or thehoopacademy@gmail.com.
But one thing remains the same: The Hoop Academy is here to stay. We are not just a place—we are a community, a family, and a tradition built on a passion for the game. Thank you for being part of this journey with us! The Hoop Academy is not a place; it's a people.