Jeffrey Burrows, Operations Supervisor, and Welliya Cargill A.dministrative Assistant (Center) with the campers and chaperones of D-Squad.
D-Squad Basketball Camp, now in its 11th year, has recently completed another excellent summer planting the seeds of peace, thanks in part to dedicated volunteers and generous donors such as Consolidated Water Company (CWCO). CWCO, a recurring sponsor of the camp, has again donated funds to assist camp Founder Harcourt McCoy in using basketball as a vehicle to teach discipline, comradery, and conflict resolution to children of all backgrounds.
The camp, which accepts children ages 5 through 19, hosted 101 kids over its three weeks, many of which were admitted free of charge from the surrounding neighbourhoods of the A.F. Adderley gymnasium where the camp is held.
The name ‘D-Squad’ derives from Coach Harcourt McCoy’s philosophy for success - ‘Drive, Determination, Dedication, and Discipline.’ Coach McCoy stated that beyond developing the young athletes’ fundamental basketball skills, his camp encourages sportsmanship and personal development.
“I teach the fundamentals of basketball: defence, passing, dribbling, shooting, rebounding. But, I also teach social competencies like how to problem solve and resolve conflicts. We make them understand that while they compete with the spirit of hard work, at the end of the day walk away with friendship and comradery. One of our successes is that we bridge gaps in these communities. To heal what is going on in Nassau we need to heal these communities. These guys will be less likely to be violent with each other now that they have a shared experience.”
Coach McCoy, who is also basketball coach and Vice Principal at Anatol Rodgers High School, stated that positive programs like his camp are more crucial than ever with crime rates as they are, and said that the cause hit close to home.
“With everything going on in Nassau today, we want to make sure that these young men and ladies have wholesome activities going on during the summer. I lived in this community growing up and basketball is one of the things that kept me out of trouble. My way of giving back is by having this camp. We don’t ever turn anyone away. Any kid that comes to our door, as long as they are willing to learn and are well behaved we will provide them with an opportunity.”
In addition to a basketball and a tee-shirt, each child in the camp gets refreshments and fresh fruit. This year, Coach McCoy expanded the program with scrimmage matches against other camps and fun fieldtrips, such as trips to the paintball arena. He thanked CWCO, for their belief in this vision and continuous support, stating that D-Squad’s open door policy makes sponsorship particularly important.
“CWCO has always tried to assist us where we need. Their donation allows us to provide the kids with basketballs, t-shirts and other refreshments and they never let us down. They always do what they can to make sure we keep on going and I really appreciate it. We couldn’t do it without them.”
CWCO General Manager Bryan Russell said that the company, whose headquarters are also in the neighbourhood, was happy to offer continuous support to the camp.
“Consolidated Water is always very keen to support programs that are making a positive difference in the neighbourhoods that we operate in. We admire Coach McCoy and the volunteers at D-Squad for the impact they are making in these campers lives through basketball and we are glad that we could do our part to help. Many of these young people could be the engineers, teachers, and doctors of tomorrow and it all starts with the positive experiences they have today. By investing in D-Squad, we are investing in the future.”
Source: Serena Williams Media & Public Relations
Trophies for top performers at D-Squad’s Annual Basketball Camp
By Chauntez Dillet Wilson
Source: Serena Williams Media & Public Relations
