The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FOR the past 26 years, Jeff Rodgers has found a way to motivate and encourage youngsters attending his annual summer basketball camp.

For another year, former National Basketball Association player turned coach Byron Scott showed up to lend his expertise to the participants.

Scott, who will be on the sidelines watching the NBA this year after coaching up to the 2013 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, visited the camp on Tuesday at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, along with Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Dr Daniel Johnson and motivator Eric Fox.

“This is a second home for me,” said Scott, who arrived in town on Monday and intends to participate in the camp for the rest of the way. “I get a chance to come back and visit the island and come out and help out my boy, Jeff Rodgers. So this is home for me. I’m just glad to be here.

“I haven’t been around basketball in a while, especially among the youngsters, so it is always good to come back and give back to them and help teach them about basketball and life and how important those things are to us. I know they are important to Jeff, who is trying to encourage the campers that have something to fall back on especially if they don’t fulfil their dreams of becoming a professional basketball player.”

As the government’s slogan for the year points out: “A bridge to the future,” Johnson said they decided to join forces with Rodgers in combining their efforts for the camp this year.

“With the Jeff Rodgers camp, which is the most successful camp in the Bahamas, we decided to partner with them to improve what we are doing,” Johnson said. “So what we did, instead of what we have been doing every year is to combine what the professionals who are running camps like Jeff Rodgers with this joint effort, we have doubled our efforts.”

Additionally, Rodgers said the ministry hosted a three-week training camp for all of their employees and instructors so that they can be in a better position to be able to provide their services to the campers so that they can improve the product that they have provided to the public.

Fox, president and counselor for Temperament Development, said he was delighted to be able to share the importance of discipline in their lives and submitting to authority, if they are going to carry out their mandate as the future generation.

“I told them about some of the mistakes I made when I was their age, how I didn’t want to listen to my grandparents and I did what I wanted to do, causing me and my family a lot of pain,” he said. “It’s only by the grace of God that he has allowed me to still be here. So I encourage them to honour and obey their parents, respect authority and to get educated and focus on their home work and not get distracted, stay away from devious characters and not rebel against the normal way of doing things.”

Fox, a former basketball and volleyball player who got caught up in the ills of society by turning to drugs, said sports is an awesome way of keeping people focused and that is why he took the time out to address the campers.

At least two of the campers have indicated that they are thrilled to be a part of the camp.

Harrison Toote, an 11-year-old student of Teleos Christian School, is making his second appearance. He noted that he returned because of the skills he learned a year ago.

“I like how we play basketball and work hard so that we can be great basketball players,” said Toote, who noted that he was pleased with the lessons he got from the instructors.

And Ragesh Noronha, a 15-year-old student of Queen’s College, made his debut at the camp this year.

“I wanted to be better in basketball and my friends told me that this is a good camp. I told my dad about it and he signed me up,” Noronha said. “It was a lot of fun because I learned how to dribble the ball, pass the ball and rebound. It was a lot of fun. I think I got to do a whole lot in the camp.”

With close to 300 campers registered this year, Rodgers said he’s excited to once again provide an avenue for the youngsters to come out and enhance their game.

“The camp is going great. Camp time is a very exciting time for me. I’m happy about what’s going on,” Rodgers said. “When you listen and hear some of the challenges that our young people are facing in our country today and to have an opportunity to bring young boys and girls together to talk about life and to stay away from crime, is a joy and a privilege.

“We don’t just talk about the fundamentals of basketball, or the rules of basketball, but we talk about the rules of life and the spiritual side of life. We want them to know that God created the heaven and the earth and that there is a higher being that we all have to look up to.”

The camp, according to Rodgers, is a spiritual calling on his life and he’s eager to fulfil his commitment through basketball. “One of the joys for me is just being around and involved in a basketball camp,” Rodgers said. “It is more than basketball, especially with what you see happening in our country today. Every time you listen to the news, my heart trembles when you see and hear what is happening to our young boys. I think if I had an opportunity to talk to that young boy before he commits that crime, I think he will not commit that crime.”

One of the instructors is Quinton Demeritte. He noted that he was delighted to join the rest of the top basketball players who are all making a contribution to the future basketball players.

“They are going to learn because they want to learn. Any kid who wants to learn will learn,” he said. “So I’m just happy to be here. But at the same time, I’m really happy that we are able to come out here and teach these kids some of the skills that we have developed playing overseas and for the national team.”

The camp wraps up on Friday night with the awards presentation. But on Thursday night, starting at 7pm, the camp is set to hold a fun night when the campers will be playing against themselves and the instructors will also be putting on an exhibition game.

Then on Monday, the Jeff Rodgers Camp will be heading to Georgetown, Exuma. The camp, free of charge, will run Monday to Friday 5-8 pm. A fun night will be held on Saturday to close out the camp. Interested persons on the island are urged to contact Danny Strachan and Julian Marshall.

Scott, along with the local instructors, are expected to attend. Rodgers thanked Bahamasair and the Peace and Plenty Hotel for partnering with his organisation. He also commended the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture for doing the same with the camp over the past month.