2026 DATES & LOCATIONS BELOW

YGB anytime…anywhere… is a program designed to support campers 1 on 1 as well as small or large group settings right from home!  Click on link to learn more!

YGB is back in action!  Depending on the safety guidelines at the time, we will be sure to keep kids safe, comfortable and having fun! 

We are also rolling out more convenient ways of payment.  While you may still mail in your checks, we are now using Venmo.

Click on the location for more information.

Camp is open to girls and boys entering grades 2-9 for all camps! Some camps open to those going into 1st grade as well.  If you would like to sign up your younger child, please reach out to nicholsygb@gmail.com.

You may sign up for any or all weeks at locations with multiple sessions as new learning will take place in each week.

ANSONIA
BETHEL
BRISTOL
BRISTOL PARK AND REC
CHESHIRE
NEWTOWN
SOUTHINGTON
WOLCOTT
WOODBURY

Thanks so much to Marchello (parent of camper) who wrote this article about camp! YGB wouldn’t be what it is without the support of so many wonderful parents. Thank you all!

Here’s another article that was featured in the Voices. YGB in the Voices Thank you Mike Preato for writing!

You Gotta Believe Basketball Camps Build Skills

by Mike Preato

WOODBURY — For more than 15 years, Woodbury resident Bret Nichols, a former professional basketball player, has made it his mission to spread his love of basketball to younger generations by passing along basketball skills and lessons in sportsmanship through the You Gotta Believe Basketball camps he runs throughout the state.

The camps, which take place from late June through August, teach children in grades 2 through 9 about the game’s basics and provide tips and tricks that can help them excel.

Mr. Nichols said the You Gotta Believe organization is one of the largest organizations for camps throughout the state.

“We take great pride in developing good fundamentals, building skills and helping players to become even better,” Mr. Nichols said.

“But we take a lot of pride also in building character, so we use basketball as a way of delivering positive messages.

“We get to know them,” he said. “We want to make sure everybody goes home with a compliment, that everybody knows each other by name.

“We’re starting something new this year where we’re going to write notes to kids that they can bring home to show their parents how proud we are of them.”

Mr. Nichols said he regularly receives phone calls and emails from parents asking if the camp is appropriate for children who don’t know anything about basketball.

“I always tell them ‘absolutely’,” Mr. Nichols said, “because we meet them where they’re at.”

The camp divides children into groups based on their ages, ability levels and/or gender, teaching each group how to improve their skills on an individual level.

Mr. Nichols tries to keep the student-to-instructor ratio low, so each child can get more individual, personal instruction.

“New learning takes place in each session,” he said, “so they can always go home and talk at dinner with their folks about what they learned today and the cool tricks that we were able to show them.”

Some of the skills campers learn come directly from Mr. Nichols experience playing against the Harlem Globetrotters.

Mr. Nichols is a former member of the New York Nationals, a team paired with the Globetrotters to play the foil in the Globtrotters comedic shenanigans.

Behind the scenes, members of each team shared their experiences, tips and tricks, some of which Mr. Nichols can pass on to campers.

Discussing pricing, Mr. Nichols said each four-hour, week-long camps cost $110, but the price has some flexibility depending on the situation.

“We don’t have any formal discounts,” Mr. Nichols said, noting that he is happy to speak with parents about working through any financial difficulties to ensure their children can attend the camps.

“I always work with families who have financial need.

“Money isn’t going to stand in the way of this experience; we’ll work it out,” Mr. Nichols said.

Those seeking additional information about YGB Basketball Camps may visit yougottabelieve.info.