MARYSVILLE — Score this one a win for Tomahawks basketball.

Facing depleting numbers in their basketball camps, Marysville-Pilchuck basketball coaches visited the elementary schools and did a bit of recruiting.

“We wanted to spread the word,” said M-P boys coach Barry Gould. “And it wasn’t just that, but we were promoting healthy living. Just telling them that we tend to eat when we’re bored and have such a beautiful place and to spend time outside doing something when it’s nice out.”

The visits worked. Numbers at both boys and girls camps jumped this past week.

“It’s been great to see so many kids playing basketball and getting to know them,” said Tomahawks girls coach Julie Martin.

It will be harder to remember individual faces for the girls, who can boast almost 100 enrollees from a pair of afternoon sessions from June 21-24. During that same span, the boys numbers are up from a little more than 40 in 2009 to a little more than 60 this year.

While teaching the fundamentals, kids at these camps were able to meet and receive instruction from current Tomahawks coaches and players while still being able to play games and win prizes.

“They’re all getting some time with our players and getting to know our program,” Gould said. “So next year when they watch us on Tuesdays and Fridays, they can say, ‘That’s my coach.’”

Martin said there are other benefits to getting to know the coaches and players early on. This provides a pressure-free environment for a child to help decide if he or she wants to continue playing basketball. And if that answer is a “yes,” going to camp gets your name — or face — out there.

“I think it’s really important for Barry and myself to see faces because when they try out (in high school), you can say, ‘Oh yeah! You were at camp,’” she said.

And a camp’s benefits aren’t limited to just younger players, as the junior varsity and varsity players learn how to teach others the fundamentals and Gould said that experience helps develop leaders.

“You see guys start the camp kind of shy, but they start to come out of their shell pretty quickly,” he said. “Then they’re having fun with the kids and teaching them a defensive position and it helps them learn to speak up.”