Drenched in sweat, Jayden Custer and Christian Grimsley sprinted up and down the Jones Center gym floor, perfecting defensive drills they have been practicing all week at a youth basketball camp at UNC Pembroke.
Custer and Grimsley, both rising high school freshmen, were excited to hear the whistle blow after the drills ended, signaling their favorite part of the day––five-on-five full-court scrimmages.
Freshman Sarah Clark was eager to test her shooting and dribbling skills with other campers during game simulations. Clark has attended Coach Drew Richards's Basketball Camp since she was nine.
“It’s really fun!” said Clark. “It’s good to have experiences with other people my age, and it helps me figure out which skills I can improve on. The coaches are not hard on you, either. They are here to try to make you better.”
Clark was among 70 youths who participated in the week-long camp led by Head Men’s Basketball Coach Drew Richards, his coaching staff and more than a dozen student-athletes. UNCP’s basketball players aren’t the only student-athletes spending their summer giving back to the local community and the sports they love. The wrestling team, women’s basketball, softball and volleyball also offer youth sports clinics. The football team is holding satellite camps across the state.
“This community is so important to our athletic program; everyone is so supportive. I’ve always felt it was our duty to do something that brings kids and parents to our doors and people inside the gym,” Richards said. “The participants get a chance to interact with the student-athletes––a lot of whom they watch during the season on the court.”
The annual basketball camps at UNCP have a special meaning for senior guard Nygell Verdier, who remembers youth camps' impact on him growing up in Charlotte.
“It’s eye-opening,” said Verdier, who has volunteered at UNCP’s camp every summer since he was a freshman. “I remember being in their shoes, looking up to the coaches at the different stations. Now I’m in the position and they look up to us––their parents know our names. So, I feel like this is my way of giving back to the kids in this community. It’s a fun and rewarding experience.”
Fellow UNCP senior point guard Ju’Juan Carr said he, too, benefited from the positive experiences of basketball camp when he was Clark’s age.
“I used to look up to a lot of those people, and that actually motivated me to want to play basketball when I got older, so I take this seriously,” Carr said. “I’m out here trying to inspire others.”
Former standout Spencer Levi, who has been playing professionally overseas since he graduated in 2021, was among the camp volunteers. He recently returned from England, where he plays with the Plymouth City Patriots.
“I grew up going to camps like this, so it’s very instrumental for me because I love basketball and this community,” Levi said. “I enjoy coming back here. It’s like home now. I enjoy watching the kids grow and develop. We are teaching them the fundamentals, but, more importantly, to have fun. The game of basketball teaches structure and lessons that these youth can use later in life, like discipline. I want them to learn, have fun and have that balance while they are here.”
