The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Heading into its 29th edition, the Jeff Rodgers Summer Basketball Camp aims to continue to improve its product while teaching life lessons through the game of basketball.

This year’s camp will be hosted from June 27 to July 24, again at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium and again Camp Director Jeff Rodgers is expecting a record number of participants and is prioritising greater involvement this year from parents.

“This year is going to be an exciting one for us because with everything we do we want to set the stage next year for number 30. But this year one of our major priorities is to get parents more involved. We want parents to take the day off to take an opportunity to become a camper, create an interactive atmosphere with the kids,” he said.

“There are changes we would like to implement as we try to get better every year. We want to be able to present each camper with a leather basketball at the beginning camp rather than at the end so they can hone their skills over the course of those few weeks. Even with the visits from the NBA players, we want the NBA players to go out to the individual groups and go through drills, talking to the kids rather than one massive gathering. These are just a few of the things we have discussed but the 29th will definitely be a special one.”

Since 1987, Rodgers has staged the camp, which provides an opportunity for young children to engage in some wholesome sporting activities during the summer months. At the same time, they get to develop their skills.

“I have to thank God for this privilege of doing this camp every year to touch hundreds of lives because this is just a calling for me. This camp started with my vision to give something back to the community and we saw the need for more positive things to grow. Basketball was my way to do that. This is an avenue to give back to the community in a very positive way. To look outside of basketball for positive things help community development,” he said.

A number of the instructors got their start in the camp as participants. But Rodgers said they went on to develop their skills and they have returned to lend their expertise to the younger players who are following in their footsteps. Players like Tehran Cox, Scottie Farrington, Torrington Cox, Girbran Smith and Eugene Bain are just a few that served as instructors last year.

“The product speaks for itself. People know something that’s good and people want to take advantage of that. Its a great feeling to look at the instructors that are heading the camp now. They went off and came back home and they give something to the camp. These are the things we feel fulfilled at, when you can see the impact the programme has had because it’s something people can look forward to every year.”

This year’s “Family Fun Night” which will be on July 21 featuring NBA personalities Eric Gorson, Jordan Clarkson, Byron Scott, Andre Iguoudala, Shelvin Mack, the return of camp stalwart Muggsy Bogues.

The camp is working again with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture in hosting the camp and Rodgers as they plan on hosting the extension of the camp in Exuma. Rodgers said his ultimate goal is conducting a basketball academy.

“This is the fourth time the camp will be going to Exuma, because a lot of the young people on the Family Islands don’t have the same opportunities as the kids in Nassau or Freeport,” he said. “One of my goals in life is to put together a ball academy and I think we’re moving in the right direction. I think once we have an academy to help develop the programme from scratch, to put together a more structured, lasting programme it can do wonders for the game of basketball.”

Application forms are available at the Seventh Day Adventist office on Tonique Williams-Darling Highway and online at www.jeffrodgersbasketballcamp.com.