This year, two of many summer camps focused on helping young boys and girls develop positive character traits such as discipline, hard work and unity through their love for the game of basketball.
The D-Squad Summer Basketball Camp and International Basketball Academy Bahamas Basketball Camp, with support from Consolidated Water Company (CWCO), together recently welcomed over a hundred children, some as young as four years old, to participate in skill and character-building activities.
During the International Basketball Academy Bahamas Basketball Camp, students had a special one on one session with Bahamian NBA player Kai Jones. They also participated in character development sessions with K. Darron Turnquest and Ricardo Deveaux.
Skill building activities across both camps included basketball IQ, footwork, advanced ball handling, offense and defense critiquing and training, as well as strength resistance training.
Director of D-Squad Basketball Club, Harcourt McCoy said, “The D-Squad Basketball Camp seeks to improve the basketball skills of anyone who is disciplined enough to come out and the goal is to help them become a better-rounded individual on the whole.”
He emphasized that basketball is a vehicle to teach comradery and conflict resolution to children of all backgrounds and CWCO literally puts basketballs in the hands of participants with its support.
“Over the years, their donation has allowed us to buy basketballs for the kids, camp tee shirts, ice, water, and fruit along with awards and other necessities. We really appreciate how they came to our aid,” Mr. McCoy said.
CWCO, which develops and operates seawater desalination plants and water distribution systems in areas of the world where potable water is scarce or non-existent, has sponsored the camp for nearly two decades. With the donation made by CWCO last year, D-Squad Basketball Club participants were able to travel and have scrimmages with high school coaches at the AUU Turkey Tourney in Florida.
This year, as several CWCO representatives explored both camps and saw firsthand the on and off court skills being honed, CWCO Board Member, Ethan Adderley, highlighted that Consolidated Water is especially proud to support programs that are making a positive difference in the communities and neighborhoods that it operates in.
“It is fulfilling to see young persons spend their summer break not only practicing the fundamentals of basketball but building characteristics that make them productive citizens as well.
“Among the over a hundred participants are not only up and coming athletes, but future engineers, technicians and other professionals like those employed by CWCO,” said Mr. Adderley.
