In exactly one month, the 28th edition of the Jeff Rodgers Basketball Camp will get underway under the theme "Building Healthy Bodies with a Positive Mind", and this year, the camp will feature some of the biggest names in the game of basketball today.
The camp is scheduled to take place June 29 to July 24 at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium. Sessions will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday, and will be open to both boys and girls ages 5-19.
"One thing I can say, is that this camp is about much more than teaching you the fundamentals of basketball," said Rodgers in an interview with The Nassau Guardian. "We put a lot of focus on life and what it's like off the court. There are rules both on and off, so we get you to understand that you have to have a balance, respect the law and how to fit into society, by doing the things that are right - just building characters. I think that's one of the main successes of the camp - teaching kids how to get along, and also how to disagree and still be friends. All of the basic things that you would learn at home, we just want to continue to reinforce those things."
In terms of basketball skills, Rodgers said that they like to revisit the fundamentals, and try to teach the kids to play the right way. He said that many of the young players around the island lack the basic fundamental skills needed to take their games to the next level, and feels that this step needs to be taken to improve the game of basketball in The Bahamas as a whole.
"It's kind of sad because in our country we are not putting enough time into these kinds of programs," he said. "Unfortunately, the Jeff Rodgers program is only for the summer, but we need these kinds of things year-round in order for the players to get used to playing the game the right way, with basic fundamentals. We just have to preach it and teach it more in the schools and other local clubs around the island. They watch television and the guys in the NBA (National Basketball Association) and try to emulate them, not knowing that they have already been through solid fundamental systems. It may look a bit more colorful, but it's not that simple."
The camp will host a number of NBA legends and up-and-coming stars, including Golden State Warriors' guard Klay Thompson, son of Bahamian NBA legend Mychal Thompson. Other players making an appearance this year include Warriors forwards Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green, New Orleans Pelicans' guard Eric Gordon, another player with Bahamian roots, and Jordan Clarkson from the Los Angeles Lakers. Joining them will be former players like Bahamians Rick Fox and Mychal Thompson, Calvin Murphy, Clyde Drexler, Gus Williams and camp stalwarts Byron Scott and Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues.
"This year I have been blessed once again," said Rodgers. "God has blessed the camp for many years, and over the years, I've built good friendships with a lot of professional basketball players and the word just gets around. Klay was coming to my camp since he first came to the league. He told his friends about it and said that a couple of guys on his team wanted to come to the camp. They called me, made a commitment and now they're coming down. The kids look forward to having someone from the NBA at the camp, and we have been blessed for the fact that, every year I have hosted the camp, someone from the NBA was in attendance."
Rodgers said that he also wants this year's camp to feature greater parent involvement, and to emphasize on that point, Rodgers said that they are asking all parents to spend a full day at the camp, where they will act as campers and go through the drills and exercises that the kids are put through daily.
Registration forms are now available online at www.jeffrodgersbasketballcamp.com and at the Bahamas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists on the Tonique Williams-Darling Highway during working days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The telephone number is 341-4021.
This year, Baha Mar will partner with camp, hosting the NBA players, along with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. Other corporate partners this year include the South Bahamas Conference of Seventh Day Adventists, Bahamas Business Solutions, Scotiabank Bahamas Ltd., the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), J.S. Johnson, Bahamas First, Colina, Bamboo Shack, Caribbean Bottling Company, Chelsea's Choice and Jewel's Party Supplies.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
