KALAHEO — There were many winners Monday at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center when Kelvin Moniz, the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank food resources director, arrived to pick up some of the food collected by The “W” of Kaua‘i and the NBC
KALAHEO — There were many winners Monday at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center when Kelvin Moniz, the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank food resources director, arrived to pick up some of the food collected by The “W” of Kaua‘i and the NBC Camps.
Comprised of players from the county’s community league, basketball coaches and leaders of The “W” of Kaua‘i — organizers of the weekend basketball clinic — the registration fee for this year’s camp was waived. Instead, basketball clinic participants being asked for bring a non-perishable food item for the KIFB.
“We had about 40 younger players for the Saturday clinic,” said Josh Burton, the head of The “W” of Kaua‘i. “We’ve gotten about 40 pre-registered for the high school clinic Monday afternoon, and the coaches are arriving now for their clinic.”
Fred Crowell, president and founder of NBC Camps, formerly the Northwest Basketball Camps, said the amount is about the same as last year’s summer camp.
“The real hero is Brandee Burton,” Crowell said. “She came to a basketball camp on Maui and liked it so much, it’s now here on Kaua‘i.”
NBC Camps’ website states that “getting better is a choice and we want to help you walk out of camp a stronger player and stronger person physically and mentally.”
“Our goal is to find heroes,” Crowell said. “We’re here for only a few days and during that time, the kids listen to us. But we need to find heroes the kids will listen to after we’re gone. When we come back, we’ll ask for them.”
He said following a camp in Alaska, NBC Camps developed a newsletter which is sent to all participants.
“We keep them in tune, providing them tips and insights on the game, even if we’re not there,” Crowell said. “But what is important is we feature a local ‘hero.’ Our hero for this camp is Josh. He’ll be featured in one of our newsletters.”
Burton, in a release announcing the clinic, said the aim of The “W” of Kaua‘i is to bridge the gap between Mainland programs and Kaua‘i, and to provide youth with the best coaching to get them physically and mentally ready for the next level.
Beyond the basketball arena, the skills being passed along to the players and coaches will hopefully lead to players being winners, not only in the game of basketball, but also on the bigger arena of life.
The “W” of Kaua‘i was founded on the belief that youth sports can make a positive impact on a child’s life, states its website.
In sports, you often hear the phrase “The W,” which refers to an individual or team winning a game. The group’s goal is to take that phrase one step further and to equip youth with the skills needed to not only getting the “W” on the scoreboard, but to get the “We” in the game of life, according to the website.
Visit www.nebccamps.com for more information on the camps, or www.thewofkauai.com for more information on The “W” of Kaua‘i.
