HIGH HOOPS KIDS LEARN THE BASICS AT BASKETBALL SCHOOL.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - With the recent Los Angeles Lakers World Championship still fresh in their minds, dozens of local children turned out Saturday in search of the skills and moves they so admire in the professional hoops stars.

For $25, kids ages 5 to 8 can spend five Saturdays learning basketball through the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, which employs recent high school graduates and local students as instructors for the little ones.

``It's fun here and there are older people to teach you how,'' said Dylan Raffaelli, 7, who just completed his second Saturday at Rancho Santa Susana Community Park.

Watching from the stands, Dylan's dad, Alan, said his son was hooked after the first day.

``All I know is he said he had a blast and that's all he's talked about all week,'' Raffaelli said. ``I think he's learning some hand-eye coordination and body control, too.''

The park district offers two classes on Saturdays, one hour for 5- and 6-year-olds and one hour for children 7 and 8.

Six stations are set up in the gym, at which small groups of kids rotate every few minutes. Five of the stations explore skills like passing, dribbling and even lay-ups.

The sixth station lets the kids employ their new knowledge in a three-on- three game. The older Raffaelli, however, said that part is often the most fun to watch because the kids often abandon what they've learned and just try to make a basket.

Which is something that the instructors expect.

Camp Director Brandon Campos said the best part of the camp is that the kids can run around and burn off energy. But he admitted that he may get as much out of it as the kids.

``When I was little I came up through this program,'' Campos said. ``I like to teach kids the stuff that I learned growing up,'' adding that it's a great opportunity for parents, as well.

``When you take your kids to school, you don't get to watch them interact, but here they can watch their kids learn,'' he said. ``It's just an introduction to basketball.''

Joshua Lunchick, 7, said that his favorite professional player is Kobe Bryant and the move he most enjoys practicing at camp is the lay-up, despite the fact that he - and most of the others - are under 4 feet tall.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo: (1 -- color --ran in Conejo edition only) Alex Berkel, 5, practices her shooting technique at a kids' basketball camp.

(2 -- color) ran in Conejo edition only) Paul de Leon, left, give tips on dribbling at a summer basketball camp for children ages five to eight.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer