By Chris Simones
Mendy Stotts will be holding the 3rd annual Shoot for Heaven basketball camp this year, but it’s going to be on a different court.
“I used to hold the camp at Westwood Church of Christ. We’d use the gym and we’d also go outside,” Stotts said. “This year I’m setting it up as a Facebook Event because of the virus.”
The camp will be held this Thursday, July 23, and Friday, July 24.
“I’ll start posting at 8 a.m. and continue downloading events throughout the day and end in the early evening. One good thing about doing it this way is the campers can watch the videos as I post them and then they can come back later and watch them again,” said Stotts.
Strong attendance the last two years inspired Stotts to find a creative solution to continue holding the event.
“The first year we had over 100 kids and last year we had 130. With all the helpers included we ended up with about 200 people a day last year. I hated not to have it this year, but I also didn’t think it was a good idea to get so many kids together.” Stotts said. “Having it as a Facebook Event seemed like the best idea.”
The camp is targeted toward the K-5 age group and will emphasize Christian principles as well as basketball fundamentals.
“Basketball drills, skits, life skill talks, and Christian devotionals will be posted throughout the camp days,” said Stotts. “Kids can also post videos of themselves shooting, dribbling, or doing their favorite basketball drills for a chance to win prizes.”
Several current and former Warren County athletes will participate as guest speakers and helpers in the videos.
“I’ve been shooting a lot of videos already,” Stotts said. “A lot of it has been shot outdoors because you can’t get in a lot of places these days. This has definitely been a social media type experience,” Stotts laughed.
Stacey Simpson is co-host.
Mendy Stotts played college basketball at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski from 1995-1999.
To attend the camp, visit the 3rd annual Shoot for Heaven Basketball Camp Facebook page and click on “Event.”
