Palmerton head boys basketball coach Joe Egan sees it as a path to a championship during the regular season. Jim Thorpe head coach Brian O’Donnell views it as a crucial stepping stone.

Northern Lehigh head coach Jake Waylen envisions it as an opportunity to build team chemistry.

What helps lay the foundation for their seasons?

For years, the combination of summer leagues, camps, tournaments, open gyms and weight-room workouts has kept basketball coaches busy from May through July, serving as an early evaluation period and laying the foundation for the winter season.

Egan, O’Donnell and Waylen were among a sampling of area coaches who liked what they saw during the early stages of the offseason.

At Palmerton, Egan has his team competing in the Lehigh Valley Summer Basketball League. The Blue Bombers also attended a team camp at East Stroudsburg.

After a slow start to the summer, Egan believes his team has rounded into form and has been impressed with returning leading scorer Gaige McGowan, as well as the development of sophomores Cooper Rex, Tate Buck and Micah Lax.

Junior Andrew Zulic recently was cleared to play after undergoing three knee surgeries, and he has already made his presence felt.

Egan has remained committed to the offseason despite hearing differing opinions about the value of summer basketball.

“I’ve heard mixed opinions on summer/offseason basketball, but I’m a firm believer that championships are won in the offseason,” said Egan.

“Any truly successful program you look at has guys in the weight room and gym during these months. Once our guys fully bought in over the last few weeks, you could really see the improvement on the floor.”

O’Donnell, whose team plays in the Panther Valley Summer League, believes summer basketball is a test of a player’s commitment.

“Summer basketball takes a ton of determination and want to,” said O’Donnell. “Between travel baseball, summer football workouts, travel AAU teams and family vacations, it may be tough to squeeze in some time for basketball.”

The Olympians will be in a transition year this winter after losing five seniors who all logged significant minutes.

O’Donnell is looking to senior Brody Schrantz to lead a group that includes juniors Anthony Kiehl, Blaze Flyzik, Tyler Hoherchek and Spencer Gothard, along with sophomores Bryce McElmoyle, Camani Clarke and Bobby Levins.

He expects the work being done this summer to pay dividends.

“We have a lot of young and hungry players hoping to fill the gaps of what we lost, though,” said O’Donnell. “They will play some major roles if we hope to return to the district playoffs again this year. Finding some time to get all those guys in the gym and meshing together in the summer will pay off greatly in the winter.”

Panther Valley head coach Pat Crampsie also has enjoyed the summer with his players. The Panthers attended the East Stroudsburg camp, which he described as a positive experience.

“It is a lot of fun when you have a crew that loves to play basketball,” said Crampsie. “We are fortunate to have that with this group.”

For Crampsie, the emphasis is on development rather than results.

“Over the years I found that the most beneficial aspects of summer basketball are improving individual skills and team chemistry,” he said. “Those are without a doubt the most important aspects — much more so than winning or losing summer league games.”

Crampsie has been impressed with both his senior leaders and several younger players.

“Seniors Jarell Thomas and Jake Moyer have made a lot of progress in the last few months, along with teammates Darian Revell and Adrian Munoz,” he said. “Some of our younger guys stepping into new roles have been doing well, such as juniors Chase McArdle and Cy Maynard and sophomore Corrigan Crampsie.”

Waylen, whose team also competes in the Lehigh Valley Summer Basketball League, shares a similar philosophy.

“Playing in a summer league gives my guys an opportunity to develop their games and build team cohesion,” said Waylen. “I do not measure our success on wins and losses during the summer.”

Waylen also uses the summer to evaluate lineups and experiment with different combinations. The Bulldogs will participate in the A-Town Throwdown later this month at Cedar Beach in Allentown.

“A successful summer is determined by growth,” added Waylen. “I want to see my guys getting better each game as a team. I want to see my guys learn how to play with and for each other. Summer league play also allows me the opportunity to experiment with things at times.”

Waylen has been especially pleased with the progress of senior Kellen Bauer.

“I’m so proud to coach this kid,” said Waylen. “He is laser focused on becoming the best player that he can be going into his senior year. I can already see the maturity in his game this offseason. He’s making the right reads nearly every time down the court.”

Weatherly head coach Luke Medico echoed many of the same sentiments. The Wreckers also attended the East Stroudsburg camp and compete in the Panther Valley Summer League as well as the Freeland/Hazleton League. Medico has watched seniors Jacob Hinkle and Wyatt Kokinda, along with sophomore Jaxon McKeegan, make significant strides.

“It’s very important to stay active and give the players opportunities to bond and come together,” said Medico. “This can be done in a variety of ways. Summer leagues and team camp provide opportunities to play against various levels of competition, which better prepares the team for when the regular season starts.”

Pleasant Valley head coach Joe Berezwick, whose team also plays in the Panther Valley Summer League, has focused on development throughout the offseason. The Bears are not attending a team camp.

“Summer has been going alright for us so far,” said Berezwick. “We have been using this time to work on different areas and continue improving based on things we saw during summer league and from last season. I have been happy with the attendance and commitment from our returning players throughout the summer.”

For Waylen, the summer also serves as a reminder of why the game matters.

“I do see a true purpose in participating in a summer league,” said Waylen. “Playing in a summer league is enjoyable, and I’m glad to have gotten my guys back into one again this year.

“And, ultimately, we play basketball because it’s fun.”