BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - YOUNG basketball players in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis have been afforded the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the game through the annual Reach One Teach One Basketball Camp.
The Camp, which is now in its eighth year, commenced on Monday (Jun. 29) and will conclude on Friday (Aug, 2).
In an interview with founder Director and Coordinator of the camp, Wendell Pemberton told SKNVibes that the aim is to teach children the fundamentals of basketball and also keep them out of trouble.
“The purpose of the camp is to teach the youngsters, male and female, the basics in basketball form the grassroots programme to keep the children out of trouble.
“I know we are plagued right now with a lot of violence and we thought it was best to organise this Reach One Teach One Basketball Camp with the aim of getting the kids off the street and getting them involved in a productive sport, with aim of getting them to be basketball players and trying to help them to get basketball scholarships overseas.”
Pemberton stated that coaches from the United States and the United Kingdom were brought to the Federation to coach the young players.
“We brought coaches from the United States and the UK. We have with us today John Spezia, who is the Dean of Students Head Boys Basketball Coach and Dee Davis, a former WNBA player. Then we have Beresford Mack who comes out of England, and he is the President of Mack Media Agency.”
He added that this is programme’s eighth year and it has seen some 12 individuals benefitting from scholarships overseas.
“This is the eight year now and, to date, we have 12 persons gaining scholarships. It goes from ages six to15 in the morning and ages 16 to 25 in the evening.”
He also named some of the individuals who were beneficiaries of scholarships.
“Dean Rawlins, he got a scholarship to Missouri New Baptist University and was transferred to Tampa University. Nashawn Maynard, he got a scholarship opportunity to go to Alaska Fairbanks, while Shameal Jeffers went to Williston State College and was later transferred to Jacksonville College, a Division One school in the NCAA, which are the top schools in Basketball. So Shameal is the only player from St. Kitts who has ever gone to a Division One school in NCAA. That is a huge achievement!
“Also, Bracia Audain, a female. She went to Louise and Clarke Community College in St. Louis and was then transferred to Hampton University, which is a NCAA Division One school. And that again is a huge achievement coming from St. Kitts. We also have Erasmus Williams Junior. He went to a high school first...Smith Cotton High School in Missouri, then he was transferred to Ellsworth Community College in Iowa. Ellsworth is a Division Two NCAA Junior College.”
Coach Spezia told SKNVibes that since the programme started, the development of the sport in St. Kitts and Nevis has been improving.
“This is the eighth year of the programme and we have already seen 12 persons benefitting from scholarships. The overall development is getting better and better all the time. It is getting close to being really, really good; it just will take another push to get it there.
“I have to give Wendell a lot of credit. He put a lot of time into it. And Dave Connor and the Government have being very active and backing the programme.”
Davis expressed her delight in returning to coach the youngsters.
“I am very happy to come here every year and work with these kids on a daily basis and teach them the fundamentals of the game. They are energetic, they are enthusiastic. They have a willingness to learn. I love coming here and working with these kids. It is a fun camp!”
Davis also stated that that she saw some potential amongst the campers.
“I see some potential with some younger kids and some older kids. I can tell who are going to be pretty good when they get older, but what it will take is the drilling of the basic fundamentals of the game.”
