Lawrence High players Tyrin Cozy, left, Katelyn McIntyre, and Michaela Cordova get down on the floor to scrap for a loose ball during the Lawrence High girls basketball camp on Friday, June 5, 2015 at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School.

Lawrence High girls basketball coach Jeff Dickson knew that there would be some growing pains for the Lions in his first season at the helm in 2014-2015, but he stressed that they were important in order for the program to take strides forward.

The Lions started to taste some success after starting the season 1-9, as they won six of their last 12 contests, including a three-game winning streak and a sub-state road win over Shawnee Mission South.

In order to take another step forward in the upcoming season, Dickson realized that LHS’ annual basketball camp would be crucial. The Lions concluded the camp Friday at Central Middle School with a mixture of physical play, fundamentals and activities like dance-offs to get players out of their comfort zone.

“We’ve had tremendous numbers,” Dickson said. “We’ve averaged about 38 kids a day.”

One primary component of the camp that Dickson instilled was a toughness factor that he has emphasized since coming to LHS from Shawnee Mission Northwest. The Lions’ scrimmages featured several players getting on the floor for loose balls, but Dickson was not about to blow a whistle to stop play for a jump ball.

“If there is a loose ball on the court, we’re going to dive and chase for it,” senior Alexis Boyd said.

Boyd will be a key returner for the Lions in the post as they will lose forwards Rebecca and Matia Finley, along with second-team All-Sunflower League guard Marissa Pope.

Boyd was one of the players who came on strong at the end of last season to fuel Lawrence High, as she averaged 9.8 points over the Lions’ last 13 games.

The senior forward will be joined by sophomore E’Lease Stafford and juniors Skylar Drum and Olivia Lemus as players who logged major varsity minutes last year. Dickson labeled Stafford as one of the best freshmen in the Sunflower League last season, and there are three more newcomers who Boyd believes will make a big impact for the Lions going forward.

“Chisom (Ajekwu) will definitely. I think Sammy (Williams) will, too, and I’m really starting to take a liking to Hannah Stewart,” Boyd said. “She’s really started to pick up some of the qualities that Marissa has had as a freshman. Hopefully she’ll be just as good as Marissa.”

The camp has served as a bridge for the busy offseason Dickson has scheduled. Dickson began doing some groundwork in the spring by setting up free youth clinics on Saturdays, and he’ll have the Lions traveling all over the state to compete throughout the summer.

“We have a very rigorous summer program. We’re traveling to Wichita State, Emporia State, we’re doing a tournament at KU and then we play in the Shawnee Mission South league,” Dickson said. “We have two JV teams in that, and Lawrence High hasn’t had a JV team in that league in a really long time. Our two JV teams are a combined 5-1 in that league so far.”