The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ROYAL Bahamas Police Force Commissioner Paul Rolle said he was so impressed with the work that Dr Apostle Carlos Reid is doing in the community that he had to take time out from his busy schedule to make a contribution to the King’s Sons Basketball Camp.

The basketball development and mentorship training camp got started on Monday at the Michael ‘Scooter’ Reid Basketball Courts at the Hope Center.

On Wednesday, Rolle made the cheque presentation to the camp, coordinated by former professional basketball player JR Cadot and Apostle Reid.

The camp, designed for boys and girls between the ages of 8-18, will run until August 27.

“By the time school reopens, you all should have good grounding in ethics,” said Rolle, as he commended Reid for this initiative. “That means that you have found something to do during the summer months when school is closed.

“I remember growing up on the island (Andros), we were happy when school was closed. We spent lots of our time swimming on the beach and going fishing or in August, we go for sea grapes and go on the rocks and catch the crabs.”

Although they have their urban community programme, Rolle said this year because of COVID-19, they won’t be hosting their basketball camp, which attracts over 1,000 campers, to keep them productive during the summer months.

“You get an opportunity to be here to do something good,” Rolle said. “I like what I see and what Dr Reid is doing with you and giving you an opportunity to be productive. I see later on, one or two want to become a police.

“Policing is a very good profession. If you’ve been following in the news, you would have seen several of our youth bands. Several of our students have gotten scholarships. Next year we will be in Abaco and Grand Bahama auditioning younsters to get an opportunity to further their education.”

Rolle, however, said it starts in programmes such as the Kings’ Sons Basketball Camp and he encouraged the campers to listen to the instructions given by Reid and his coaching staff.

“Only once you are going to be young. Very soon, you won’t be here anymore,” Rolle said. “But this will be a defining moment for you because when you get to my age, you will remember when you used to come to the Hope Center for summer camp. You will remember that.

“And when you have your children, you will be able to tell them that they need to go to the Hope Center because the Hope Center gave me hope and it helped to mold me into the man I am today. You will say you remember when the Commissioner beat me on three-on-three.”

At that point, one camper interrupted the Commissioner saying “Pardon.”

Rolle responded asking him if he “wanted to see. ‘No, I can’t do that today. He said he was in the middle of a funeral and he had some other important matters to deal with, so he couldn’t entertain the camper right then.

“When I get these breaks, this is therapy for me,” Rolle stated. “So I’m happy to be here Dr Reid.”

Reid and the campers thanked the commissioner by putting on a demonstration of who they are and what they stand for during the time that they will spend at the camp. Hopefully, the lessons learnt and the persons they come in contact with will serve as an inspiration to them as they venture into the future.

They indicated that they are the King’s Sons and they respect God, respect authority, respect themselves, respect each other and respect their environment. Their greatness lies within them and with their lives, they will do anything necessary to succeed.