Photo By Cpl. Mark Stroud | Kianna McWaite, left, 10, and Anthony Underwood, right, 10, fight for a rebound during...... read more read more
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OKINAWA, Japan - National College Athletic Association basketball coaches journeyed across the Pacific Ocean to participate in a weeklong basketball camp for the island’s youth that culminated in a tournament at the Foster Fieldhouse April 14 and 15.
The Okinawa Basketball Association hosted the camp that focused on teaching basic skills to the 142 participants, ages 9-19, and provided them with an opportunity to showcase their talents. The college coaches were brought from the U.S. to give young players here chances that previously only existed in the continental U.S.
“For where we are located, we had to bring the coaches here. To get 142 students to the [U.S.] is not going to happen. To bring six coaches here is more economical,” said Jerry Laney, coordinator and treasurer, Okinawa Basketball Association. “This is an opportunity that was never there before.”
“This is a camp about fundamentals and exposure,” said Shawn Walker, head coach for the men’s basketball team of Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, N.C., and here for the camp. “We got young kids here that obviously enjoy playing, and the more exposed they are to basketball, the more interested they are going to be in working on their game.”
The camp allowed participants, separated into three age groups, to focus on the fundamentals.
The youth and teens stayed at the Westpac Inn for the week to ensure all could fully participate in the camp by practicing and training under the tutelage of college coaches for eight hours each day, according to Laney.
The camp offered the opportunity for inexperienced players to establish a basic basketball skill set upon which to build, as well as a chance for more experienced players to refine their game.
“There are a lot of kids here that have never played basketball structurally before,” said Walker. “The ones that take it seriously will be able to take these lessons back to the [U.S.] and work on the fundamentals they learned here.”
The culminating tournament was the practical application portion of the camp during which the players put all they learned to use.
The tournament was broken up into age and gender brackets and ended with the April 15 banquet, during which the tournament winners were recognized. Outstanding players and those exhibiting good sportsmanship were also acknowledged. The level of competition amongst the players was high, according to Laney.
“The level that they are playing at now is no longer the youth level or the high school level. They are trying to show college coaches what they have because someone is actually looking at them,” said Laney.
The participants expressed a desire to return next year, and coordinators are already planning for an increase in participation, said Laney.
The players showed great enthusiasm about the camp, and the coordinators expect the number of players to rise from 142 to more than 200 for the next camp, according to Laney.
Many of the visiting coaches echoed this sentiment and expressed interest in continuing to build upon the basketball talent on Okinawa.
“This camp is something that the kids and the entire community will look forward to yearly,” said Walker. “This is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in my coaching career, and I look forward to coming back.”
| Date Taken: | 04.15.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2011 21:31 |
| Story ID: | 69294 |
| Location: | OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 90 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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