Saturday was about as good as it gets for Amanda Hadl.

The 11-year-old Lawrence girl was one of about 20 girls who spent two hours playing basketball under direction of former Kansas University standout Jeff Boschee.

“I’ve had a lot of fun, and Jeff Boschee was always my favorite player,” Amanda said after the session.

“She told me she was so excited she could hardly sleep last night,” said Amanda’s grandmother, Mary Jo Hadl, who watched the workout.

More than 100 boys and girls are taking part this weekend in Boschee’s Spring Break Basketball Clinic at Holcom Recreation Center. Boschee, along with a few friends, conducted Saturday sessions for fourth- through sixth-grade girls and boys. A total of 50 boys participated in the Saturday clinic after the girls were finished. Today Boschee will work with seventh- and eighth-grade players.

The youths paid $30 each to attend the clinic, and the deadline for signing up was last week.

“We didn’t know what to expect” about the interest in the clinic, said Tim Laurent, a supervisor at the recreation center, “but we’re pretty pleased.”

A.J. Jones, a recreation center employee, had approached Boschee, who played with KU from 1999 to 2002, about conducting the clinic.

“We have so many good college athletes still around here, and I thought, hey, why don’t we utilize these resources and give something back to the kids?” Jones said.

Former Kansas University basketball player Jeff Boschee, left, teaches basketball basics to youths at a clinic. Rayshell Humphrey, 10, of Salina, practiced with Boschee on Saturday at Holcom Recreation Center.

Boschee said he was focusing on fundamentals while working with the younger girls, such as Amanda. Boschee said he especially wanted the girls to have some fun as well as learn some pointers.

“I just want to give them some ideas and give them a couple of things to take back with them and work on this summer,” Boschee said. “Ball-handling is important for any young kid to learn. In shooting, your form changes as you get older.”

Boschee said he was enjoying the clinic and added that he was flattered the girls were fans of his and remembered watching him play.

“It’s been a good time,” he said. “The kids are enjoying it, and we’re enjoying being around the kids.”

Nicole Humphrey, 10, also enjoyed the workout but noted that it wasn’t all easy.

“I learned that some of the drills that he had us do are a lot harder than they look,” she said.

Nicole’s mother, Carmela Humphrey, along with other parents in attendance, videotaped the her daughter’s practice.

“She knows everything about basketball, and I know nothing,” Carmela Humphrey said.