From September 29 to October 1st 2022, we held a 3 day basketball camp in Abuja Nigeria with 55 campers. We collaborated with multiple basketball academies across Abuja and selected 3-5 players each to participate in the camp. Collaborating with basketball academies enables us to have sustained impact beyond the camp. After the 3 day camp, the players return to their respective basketball academies where they have a safe and high quality environment to continue practicing what they learned at the camp. The coaches at the basketball academies were also invited to the basketball camp and exposed to the Next in Line coaches who have experience coaching multiple Nigerian National teams. This exposure enables the grassroots coaches from the academies to hone their coaching skills and pick up new coaching techniques that they can take back to their academies.
At Next in Line, we are dedicated to finding ways to make lasting impact through basketball, impact that lives on beyond our basketball camps. This year’s camp was a great step in the right direction for making lasting impact in the lives of the next generation of Nigerians.
Coaches
We had 11 coaches at this year’s camp. Here we highlight the 3 head coaches of the camp but we also want to appreciate the other coaches that dedicated their time to coaching and training the 55 campers for 3 days in Abuja.
Coach Scott Nnaji: He is a highly respected coach in Nigeria who has coached the Nigerian women’s basketball team to multiple international tournaments. We were very blessed to have Coach Scott happily share his wisdom with the campers and the other grassroots coaches.
Coach Christopher Acha: Coach Chris was the head coach of this year’s camp. He crafted the agenda and ran most of the drills. Coach Chris has coached multiple teams in the Nigerian basketball league and he continues to be a key part of the Next in Line program every year.
Coach Daudu Adeka: He has coached both the Nigerian women’s team and a few teams in the Nigerian men’s basketball league. Coach Adeka brought a lot of energy to the camp and cares deeply about having fun while learning. He’s always a fun part of every Next in Line camp.
MVPs
This year we recognized some campers for their exceptional shooting and play throughout the camp. We also recognized two MVPs who displayed high level basketball and good character throughout the camp. The MVPs each received a pair of the Giannis shoes, with the boys MVP receiving the Nike Zoom Freak 3 while the girls MVP received the Giannis Immortality.
- Nura Mohammed: An 11 year old basketball phenom who dazzled everyone at the basketball camp. He displayed strong fundamentals and a clean shooting stroke. Nura was amazing during the camp and we are particularly excited for him to continue developing his skills and to grow into a fantastic basketball player in the next couple of years. Nura is so young right now, he’s one player to keep an eye on!
- Gift Aregbor: A 6ft 2′ basketball force, standing confidently on the court. She dominated the block during the all star game. She was unguardable and used her size to her advantage. Gift is a great player we are rooting for. We expect to see her playing in the Nigerian league and hopefully oversees soon.
Highlights
Some key highlights from this year’s camp:
- US Embassy Visit: We won a grant! We won a grant provided by the US Embassy in Abuja. To that end, the US Embassy visited us during the camp to meet the campers and coaches. It was great to meet the US Embassy grant team and to see the campers’ excitement as they interacted with the grant team.
- Educational series: We shared tips and advice for ways the campers can become true student athletes that are excellent on the basketball court and at school.
- Coaching clinic: The National coaches at this year’s camp shared their knowledge with the grassroots coaches invited to the camp.
- Swag and refreshments: Campers received Next in Line-branded jerseys and t-shirts. We also provided food and drinks every day of the camp.
- Fun: There was dancing, fun, and a closing ceremony for campers to celebrate the completion of the second Next in Line basketball camp.
- Lots and lots of basketball!
Special Thanks
Special thanks to Skambo Morrison, the chief coordinator of Next in Line. His ability to put together basketball camps and bring together great coaching minds from across Nigeria is unmatched. We really appreciate Skambo’s efforts towards establishing Next in Line as an impactful basketball camp in Nigeria.
What’s Next
We are already gearing up for next year’s camp. In 2023, we’ll take Next in Line to Jos, Nigeria, and spread the gift of basketball to young players in Jos who rarely get the opportunity to participate in elite basketball camps run by decorated Nigerian coaches. We are looking forward to the 2023 basketball camp. For now, we’ll continue to enjoy the memories of the 2022 camp. You can check out the gallery and follow us on Instagram at @nextinlineafrica.