The 2014 Ghana Basketball and Leadership Camp tipped off with some words of wisdom for the group of campers at the University of Ghana over the weekend.
Camp director McMartey Lawer opened the orientation with a warm welcome to the campers, who traveled from all over the country to take part in the established programe.
Lawer provided campers with an overview of upcoming activities and tested their knowledge about the game and its history.
The Director of the University of Ghana Sports Directorate, Dr Bella Bello Bitugu shared inspirational stories with the group about basketball greats and encouraged them never to give up.
He spoke to the group about the incredible opportunity the camp provides and advised that they give it their all because you never know where it could lead, telling the campers “You just never know who is watching you – it is important to put your best foot forward.” He emphasized the importance of repetition in order to improve your game.
Chief Executive of Rite Multimedia, Yaw Sakyi Afari encouraged the campers to abide by the rules and regulations of the camp and advised them to give off their best during the seven-day exercise.
The campers were left excited after the opening ceremony and retired to their beds.
Day One – Saturday
The campers immediately got down to business as they woke up at 5am to start early morning jogging.
They had good reason to start out strong with excitements and smile beaming down their cheeks during the day’s exercise.
From there, the ball was in play—for the rest of the day, the athletes played, watched, and talked basketball, taking part in a series of practices under the tutelage of former Nigerian star Lewis Fadipe.
Fadipe took the campers through several drills on the court as it became obvious fatigue was getting the better part of them in the process.
The campers spent the morning of Day One learning about team building and the significance of trust in sports. Led by coach Lewis Fadipe. The workshop stressed how building one’s character can lead to a boost in one’s performance on the court—and how the way one interacts with teammates in the locker room can have a direct effect on how those same players interact in late-game moments. The campers departed in high spirits, excited to take on day two of the camp.
Day Two – Sunday.
The second-day started with the usual workout as campers started the exercise at 5am. Physical instructor Alfred Davies took them through a rigorous training exercise which got them burnt and gasping for breath.
They went onto the court to continue their usual exercise before they retired for a break.
The afternoon session was a memorable one for the campers as they shared an unbelievable time with two-time WBC Super featherweight champion Azumah Nelson.
The world respected former boxer shared his life experiences with the campers and answered questions that bordered on his glittering career.
Professor Nelson encouraged them to learn and play hard and never give up hopes on their dreams as he predicted a bright future for them. They subsequently took memorable photos with the boxing legend.
It was time for the campers to put their lesson to the test. The athletes were split into the teams on which they would remain for the entirety of the day—the objective being to allow teammates to forge the bond that was encouraged by Zeller and Gates that morning, enabling the campers to see how team bonding could lead to team baskets.
With Saturday’s emphasis on upholding a team-first mentality still in mind, the campers spent all of Sunday with their respective squads, getting to know each other’s off-court habits in the hopes of playing more cohesively on the hardwood.
The groups rotated through an assortment of skill development stations, at which the coaches guided the campers in their various areas of expertise.
While Lewis Fadipe spent their time with the athletes demonstrating how to be successful in the post, Alfred Davies and Sandy Asiedu were able to teach the participants how to navigate the perimeter game.
