The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FOR the third consecutive year, one of the Bahamas' rising stars in the coaching ranks of women's basketball is all set to stage her clinic, which continues to grow in popularity and stature with each edition.

Ballin' By Da Beach girls' basketball camp, hosted by Jurelle Nairn, in conjunction with the Back 2 Basics Foundation, is scheduled for July 2-6 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

Open to girls aged five and above, the camp is free of charge to all players and is expected to run 9am to 3pm daily.

Head coach Charisse Mapp, formerly of North Carolina State University and Salisbury, will conduct the camp along with Nairn, collegiate players and a number of local coaches.

The 2011 event featured approximately 20 instructors to facilitate the growing interest in the clinic among young aspiring female basketball players.

Nairn, who was also a one-time coach at Queen's College, said the inspiration for the event came from a need for her to give back to the community and the sport of basketball.

"This movement was birthed from my passion to serve and inspire change in the Bahamas through basketball. Since I started playing basketball, God has just graced me with His favour over and over again.

"I can truly say that I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for basketball," she said. "It has opened doors that would have never been opened had I not played for the right people, in the right place, at the right time."

Also noteworthy, in its second edition, the Ballin' By Da Beach clinic used its exposure and growth in popularity to honour one of the game's most recent icons.

The camp featured T-shirts adorned with the image of Yolett McPhee-McCuin, the daughter of legendary Bahamian coach Gladstone "Moon" McPhee and educator Daisy McPhee.

McCuin is currently the assistant coach/ recruiting co-ordinator at Clemson University where she has become the first female Bahamian coach to sign a Bahamian player, Jonquel Jones, to a top NCAA Division 1 programme.

In 2009, she worked as an assistant on the senior women's Bahamian national team and was named the Caribbean Coach of the Year.

She then developed the aforementioned Back2Basics foundation, which helps the development of children through education and athletics.

Additionally, she was involved in numerous community service projects at her other coaching stops.

Interested persons can register at www.ballinbydabeach.com, with further information via Twitter - @Ballinbydabeach, Facebook - www.facebook.com/ballinbydabeach or E-mail - ballinbydabeach@gmail.com