BUTTE, Mont. — He’s a state champ, he’s a national champ, but most importantly, he’s the Peoples champ.

Butte Central legend Dougie Peoples is giving back to the next generation with a youth basketball camp in the Mining City.

“We work on really all things basketball. And I make sure that they try and use the correct fundamentals. So we’re really working on the fundamentals. I tell them it’s not if you make a shot or not, it’s if you do it right. We want to do it right right now so then we can eventually start making shots more consistently,” said Dougie Peoples, the 2022-23 Montana Gatorade Player of the Year and 2021-22 state class A champion. “It’s been a lot fun, and I think I have more fun than these guys do.”

This is the third-year Peoples has hosted the Dougie’s Dribblers Camp, an opportunity for area kids aged 7 and up to fine tune their skills and have a bit of fun as well.

“I just got the idea to put it on social media that I’ll do lessons with kids and then it just kind of transformed into this. So, it’s great. Now, I have public school kids, I’ve got kids from Philipsburg, Anaconda, Deer Lodge. It’s great,” said Peoples, who is entering his junior season at the College of Idaho.

Giving back to Butte is vital for Peoples. He gave the Mining City a shoutout after winning the NAIA national title last season, and his college teammates joke that he always brings up his hometown.

“I’m seriously so grateful for Butte and thankful. The Butte community is amazing, there’s really nothing like Butte, so it’s just awesome,” said Peoples.

Peoples knows how much the youth in Butte live and breathe hoops, as he was once in their shoes. He remembers getting up early in the summer to attend Bernie Boyle’s camps at the KCAC. Now, Boyle’s grandchildren are learning from Peoples.

“I remember I’d get up at 5 in the morning for KCAC basketball and I’d be asking my parents when it was time to go. So, I hope that these kids are excited to come up here and they have fun, and I try to make it a fun environment where they’re also learning. But yeah, I remember that as a kid, I would live for KCAC basketball, so it’s awesome. Hopefully, I can just have a small part in these guys careers,” said Peoples.

And although the environment at the camp is relaxed, it can get competitive, and there are some kids with serious skills blossoming on the court.

“It’s cool, the kids that I’ve worked with for the past two years, to see their growth over the past two years, and then see them now in their third year with me. It’s great and I can’t wait to watch these guys grow up, too, and be high school players,” said Peoples. “I’m really excited to just watch their growth and I’m really impressed with everybody. And it’s cool to see, in Butte, I’ve never seen the passion for the game that these kids have. And it’s so many of them that are coming (to this camp).”

Keeley Bake, a 1,000-point scorer at Montana Tech, and Butte Central grad and Miles Community College commit Owen McPartland, are giving peoples a helping hand as volunteer instructors.

“I know Dougie has been doing this for a couple of years now and the kids love it. I’ve just been missing getting in the gym, he texted me the week, and I figured I’d give him a helping hand,” said Bake. “When your playing career is over, being able to share experiences and be a little bit of an inspiration for a little kid, no matter the age, is pretty special.”

“It’s awesome to have Keeley. He was so successful at Montana Tech and all these kids; they look up to him because they watch him play in the games. It’s really cool that he offered to come help. And Owen is great too, I’m excited for Owen to go to Miles City, that’ll be awesome. And all these kids watched Owen in high school, too. Some of (the campers) maybe forget about me because I’m not around very much, so it’s nice that these two are there, they can trust these guys,” joked Peoples.

Also helping with the camp is Peoples younger brother Ryan, who will be a senior at Butte Central come the fall.

“He’s worked with me the past two years, so he’s great at this,” said Peoples.

About 80 kids are participating in total, and the camp resumes in July as Peoples has duties back in Caldwell to attend to in the meantime. And Peoples is ready to continue building his on-court legacy as his junior campaign at the College of Idaho looms.

“The standard at C of I is to go and win a national championship every year. That’s definitely what we’re working toward and what we want to accomplish. The standard is set, and we want to keep it there. It’ll be really fun and it’s a really nice winning atmosphere and environment over there. We have really great culture. So, hopefully we can have really great success next year,” said Peoples.

Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin today announced the formation of the Birmingham Youth Sports League, a new initiative aimed at enriching the lives of young people through athletic training, mentoring and academic support.

“This is a chance for Birmingham to support and enhance the youth sports experience across our city,” said Mayor Woodfin. “We’re not just building athletes, we’re building character, community, and opportunity.”

The city plans to invest $500,000 in the program, he said. “This is not just seed money from the city,” Woodfin said. Corporate sponsors will make it a public-private partnership, he said. “We’re grateful for the private sector (support),” Woodfin said.

Broadening the availability of youth sports programs was one of the recommendations of the Birmingham Crime Commission earlier this year as a way of reducing crime.

“There’s probably nothing better than sports that teaches teamwork, that teaches trust, teaches communication and all these things we want for our child and children,” Woodfin said.

“The battle for the future of our city begins with our youngest members,” said Birmingham City Council member Clinton Woods.

“I know what it can mean for young people staying on track, young people staying out of trouble, young people building confidence, understanding how to overcome adversity,” Woods said.

The league launches this summer with football and cheerleading, and will expand to include basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer in future phases. Official launch dates for additional sports will be announced at a later date.

The league will focus on providing life skills, conflict resolution strategies, and academic mentorship to participating youth.

This pilot project represents a citywide commitment to investing in Birmingham’s next generation through positive engagement and structured activities. It also builds on recent efforts to revive city-run youth engagement programs like the Police Athletic Teams (P.A.T.) by the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board and Birmingham Police Department. The independent Birmingham Crime Commission highlighted the importance of such programs in its January 6, 2025, report recommending “reinvest in mentorship, education, and diversion programs to reduce juvenile crime and foster positive relationships. Re-implement the Police Athletic Teams (P.A.T.) and other proven youth engagement and mentorship partnerships.”

The league will be led by a governing team that includes an advisory team, commissioner, assistant commissioner, and operations directors for each sport, with coordination from the Mayor’s Office, Birmingham Park and Recreation, and the Department of Youth Services.

For more information or to get involved, visit the web site: www.birminghamal.gov/youthsports.

Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin today announced the formation of the Birmingham Youth Sports League (BYSL) – a new initiative aimed at enriching the lives of young people through athletic training, mentorship, and academic support.

“This is a chance for Birmingham to support and enhance the youth sports experience across our city,” said Mayor Woodfin. “We’re not just building athletes, we’re building character, community, and opportunity.”

The league launches this summer with football and cheerleading, and will expand to include basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer in future phases. Official launch dates for additional sports will be announced at a later time.

The mission of BYSL is rooted in the CEETA standard: character, excellence, equity, teamwork, and accountability. In addition to athletic training, the league will focus on providing life skills, conflict resolution strategies, and academic mentorship to participating youth.

This pilot project represents a citywide commitment to investing in Birmingham’s next generation through positive engagement and structured activities. It also builds on recent efforts to revive city-run youth engagement programs like the Police Athletic Teams (P.A.T.) by the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board and Birmingham Police Department. The independent Birmingham Crime Commission highlighted the importance of such programs in its January 6, 2025, report recommending “reinvest in mentorship, education, and diversion programs to reduce juvenile crime and foster positive relationships. Re-implement the Police Athletic Teams (P.A.T.) and other proven youth engagement and mentorship partnerships.”

The league will be led by a governing team that includes an advisory team, commissioner, assistant commissioner, and operations directors for each sport, with coordination from the Mayor’s Office, Birmingham Park and Recreation, and the Department of Youth Services.