Basketball camps return this summer

This time last year, sports camps were playing the waiting game as to whether or not the camps would have taken place. In the end, some settled for virtual camps while others were canceled due to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the camps are back and three of those coaches whose basketball camps are underway are making the best of the opportunity.

Giving both boys and girls an opportunity to advance their skills in basketball are Denykco Bowles, Bacchus Rolle and Jeff Rodgers.

Bowles is hosting the 8th Annual Denykco Bowles Elite Skills Basketball Camp at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium. It got underway on June 28, and wraps up next week Thursday.

“I am definitely happy to be hosting camp once again,” Bowles said. “We had that layoff last year and had planned to have something so I pushed it all the way to the wire thinking we would still be able to have something. I told the parents to take things in stride and see where this year goes. This year definitely paid dividends for us as we were able to get back into the gym and play ball.”

There are about 100 participants at his camp. According to Bowles, those campers are happy to be back on the court.

“It’s been good the first week. We have been putting in a lot of work. The kids were eager and excited to be back and be able to play among their peers. A lot of boys came out, and also a significant amount of girls. Also, there are a lot of Family Island kids in the camp this year. The kids have been going hard in their drills and want to get better,” Bowles said. “We are working on the small things to get everyone better. This camp is teaching them to be locked in and focused on the small fundamentals. I think that has been a difference maker for us this year at camp. We are just focusing the attention to detail. It is the smaller things that we want to execute and allow these kids to elevate their game and take it with them during their high school seasons. There has been a lot of emphasis on community and academics. We are looking at the holistic approach.”

Rodgers is no stranger to staging basketball camps. The 33rd Jeff Rodgers Basketball Camp got underway on Monday and wraps up on July 30 at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex outdoor courts. Rodgers said interest has been increasing.

“The phone calls have been coming in. People are dying to get their kids out. It has been a long year with no camp last year. Getting an opportunity to having a camp this year is important to the parents. Persons wanted to know more about the camp and what the campers can anticipate this year. Things are looking good and I think that we are going to have a great camp. It will be great to give the young people an opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the professionals,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers’ lead instructor will be Quentin Demeritte. He is still accepting new campers and they can register at the camp location.

“The camp is about building character with a positive mind. We believe that sharing positive and good information to our young people is what is expected of us to continue to do. We do not only teach the fundamentals – they will learn that. There is so much more to life than just basketball skills. There are certain values we want to instill in our young campers like how to be respectful, honest and humble. We try to build character in this camp to prepare them and use it as an opportunity for them to further their education and athletic skills. We try to cover a whole lot of things in this camp,” Rodgers said.

One of his past campers is Phoenix Suns’ center DeAndre Ayton who kicked off his National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals campaign last night.

“It is important for parents to enroll their children in camps like this to see how these young people can take their lives to the next level by getting involved. The sky is the limit, and you have to take advantage of these camps because you never know where their lives can end up. Ayton is a perfect example because he started off as a young boy who didn’t know anything about basketball. He didn’t know the fundamentals, but he had the mind. He realized that this is where he had to be, so he made the best of it. He showed the world that you can make it coming from a camp like this.”

The camp is for both boys and girls between the age of five and 18. The fun night is still up in the air.

Over in South Beach, University of The Bahamas (UB) Basketball Head Coach Bacchus Rolle got his free camp underway at the C.V. Bethel court on Monday. It wraps up on Friday. This is the first year for the camp and he hopes that it becomes an annual fixture in South Beach.

“This is the first time that the camp has been offered. The hope is that it becomes an annual fixture in the community of South Beach. Of course, it is free. Why wouldn’t it be free? Given the pandemic, many families are struggling and so thus it is important to generate wholesome programming at little and no cost to families. The reality is that these kids have not been playing any organized play at any training facility for athletics. They are excited to be out, and they are excited to teach and train,” Rolle said.

It is open to boys and girls ages 8-14 but he has a special emphasis on the girls.

“We have a solid team of instructors that include three females that we hope will add a special female element to the camp. We tend to focus on boys when we talk about basketball, but the truth is it is open to both girls and boys. Both can be very good at basketball,” Rolle said.

The female instructors include former Senior Women’s National Team Head Coach Charlene Smith, former national team player Sharelle Smith and UB Athletic Director Kimberley Rolle.

The camp will focus on passing, dribbling, shooting, footwork, defensive positioning and addressing issues like teamwork, discipline, leadership, commitment and tolerance.

“We are looking at having a very powerful week of basketball. We are looking to have fun but teach a little basketball at the same time. We want the kids to have something fun to do and an exciting environment where they would want to come and learn,” Rolle said.

Rolle said he will be giving out prizes on Friday which will also be a showcase for the campers.

All three camps will be following the national COVID-19 protocols.

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