The Tribune

COACH Sam Nichols, retired Hall of Fame Head Women’s Basketball Coach at McMurry University, Abilene, Texas, will be coming again this year for his 15th annual Basketball Smiles Basketball Camp. In co-operation with coach Kevin Johnson, the camp will be held at the CI Gibson Gymnasium from June 16-18, 2014.

Here is the camp schedule:
Monday and Tuesday June 16 and June 17 - Boys and Girls Camp 3:30pm-7:00pm. 
Wednesday, June 18 - Girls Camp 9:00am-12:15pm, Boys Camp 1:00pm-4:15pm

The camps are free and are coordinated by HO Nash coach Patty Johnson.

Since Basketball Smiles began, close to 5,000 boys and girls across the Bahamas have benefited from these free basketball camps and the Life Skills Program of Basketball Smiles.

Nichols was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 1999, and retired in 2007 with over 600 career wins. He has a 70 percent winning percentage over 32 years of coaching. Nichols has written two basketball textbooks, and has conducted basketball clinics all over the world, including Russia and Africa.

He is the most successful coach in McMurry University Women’s Basketball history, and guided the Lady Indians to national prominence during his twelve seasons at McMurry University. In 2013, Along with his 1999 team, Nichols was inducted into the McMurry University Hall of Honor. He also won several Coach-of-the-Year honors during his career.

Nichols is joined by coach Randy Thompson, vice-president and Director of Operations for Basketball Smiles, along with Texas coaches Jon and Stephanie Pastusek, Matt Brown, Kirbie Compston, Adam Young and Liz Young, Cody Victor, Xavier Jackson, Katie Lucus, Meg Brackenberry, Ashley Ebeling, Jo Jenkins, Alex Jenkins, and Summer Randle.

Basketball Smiles is sponsored in part in Nassau by Scotiabank, Kelly’s,The Green Parrot, Rotary Club of Nassau Sunrise, and Rotary Club of East Nassau.

“This group of coaches make up a tremendous staff of dedicated coaches with big hearts who love teaching the game of basketball. It is only fitting that for our 15th Anniversary Celebration Camp, we have our largest and most experienced staff in the history of Basketball Smiles. All of these coaches raised their own money and are giving of their free time to come and work with Bahamian boys and girls.”

The motto of Basketball Smiles is: “We bring a week of smiles and hope through basketball.”

“Along with basketball, we conduct a daily life skills program during the camp that emphasises self-respect, academic success, good citizenship, and spiritual values,” Nichols said. “Our goal is not just to develop basketball players, but help build future leaders in the Bahamas.”

Interested people can contact Mr Johnson at 242-323-6489.