By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BASKETBALL Smiles will move into its 20th edition this summer, continuing the mandate of its original mission statement of youth development through basketball and life skills.

Over the past two decades, the group has conducted free basketball camps for both girls and boys and will continue to do so at the Anatol Rodgers Gymnasium June 17-19.

The girls’ segment of the camp will be hosted 9am to 1pm with the boys’ segment immediately following from 1pm to 4pm.

The programme was first introduced in 1999 by Sam Nichols, a Hall of Fame women’s basketball coach from McMurray University, and his wife Sandy Nichols.

The Nichols developed a working relationship with local women’s basketball icon Patricia ‘Pattie’ Johnson, of the HO Nash Junior High School Lions.

“We are proud to celebrate this milestone - or 20th Anniversary Camp, where this summer, we will have our 11,000th camper attend our camps we started in 1999,” Nichols said.

“This group of coaches comprise a tremendous staff of dedicated coaches with big hearts who love teaching the game of basketball. All of these coaches raised their own money and are giving of their free time to come and work with Bahamian boys and girls. The quality of instruction will be second to none, and the love these coaches have for the campers will be second to none.”

Basketball Smiles began with about 80 campers and continues to attract an average of 300 campers each year, who are taught by 10-14 coaches from the United States.

Coach Nichols will be joined by Charles Parnell, vice president and director of operations for Basketball Smiles, along with Texas coaches Jonathan Gibson, Adam Young, Trovocie Jackson, Kyle and Renee Williams, and New Mexico coach Jason Parrish.

“We bring a week of smiles and hope through basketball. Along with basketball, we conduct a daily life skills programme during the camp that emphasises self respect, academic success, good citizenship, and spiritual values. Our goal is not just to develop basketball players, but help build future leaders in the Bahamas,” Nichols said.

“After 40 years of basketball camp experience, I’ve found that a fast-paced camp with three days of high intensity, quality instruction is the most efficient way to conduct a basketball camp.”

Basketball Smiles is sponsored in part by the Green Parrot, Kelly’s, Bahamas Wholesale, Bahamas-Waste, Bahamas Striping, Cable Bahamas Cares, Island Corporate Holdings, Pieces of 8 Marine Salvage Company Ltd, d’Albeanes Company, Rotary Club of Nassau Sunrise and Rotary Club of East Nassau.

“We have stayed true to our original mission statement – to bring a week of smiles and hope through basketball for 11,000 boys and girls that we have come to love. We sincerely believe that everyone involved in Basketball Smiles has played a part in bringing positive results in generations of future leaders of this great country which has become our second home.”

At the end of the camp, each camper is presented with a t-shirt, shorts, socks and basketball. Individual trophies are also presented to campers for outstanding effort and citizenship during the camp.