Ameera Waterford (right) provides resistance as Natea Rostete-Tokuhisa dribbles during a drill on Saturday. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos
OLINDA — Looking to provide more opportunities for Maui youth to hone their basketball prowess, Randy and Anita Waterford teamed up with Top Notch Basketball Club — and brought in an old friend — to create the Advanced Shooting and Ball-handling Skills Camp.
The three-day camp, which wrapped up Sunday at Seabury Hall’s Erdman Athletic Center, was led by retired Chicago Bulls player and three-time NBA 3-Point Shootout champion Craig Hodges and his son Jibril Hodges, who played basketball at Long Beach State University and professionally in Germany.
Hodges’ friendship with Randy Waterford goes back to Park Forest, Ill., where the two grew up together.
“We’ve been trying to get together to make something happen the last three or four years,” Hodges said Saturday. “But the timing wasn’t right for whatever reason. This summer everything worked out logistically to make it happen.”
The camp was attended by 50 athletes from across Maui County all looking for extra instruction, whether it be for summer tournaments or just offseason training.
Craig Hodges demonstrates proper shooting form during the second day of camp on Saturday.
“We got a good group of children that understand the importance of working hard and seeing that it’s a process to get better,” Hodges said.
For Carl Molinaro of Seabury Hall, he saw progress in his game during the second day of camp.
“The focus here is the little details of getting everything perfect like footwork and placement of your hands on the ball and the three F’s they say: ‘Foundation, form and follow-through,’ “ Molinaro said. “It’s about focusing through my shot and it’s personally helped me.”
Along with building fundamentals, the camp also provided some with confidence.
“(Craig) has been talking to us a lot about focus and not losing hope,” Maui High’s Honey Let Padasdao said. “People tell me that I’m short and I won’t go, but he’s been telling me to keep chasing my dreams and next year I want to be a first-team All-Star.”
The camp is something that the Waterfords and Hodges are looking forward to doing again.
“All these talented kids from numerous high school and clubs coming together as one island in one gym — showcasing their skills and dedication — has only made the experience of this weekend more unforgettable,” Anita Waterford said.
She also believes that this camp will soon translate into even more competitive play among Maui Interscholastic League teams and at the state level.
“There is definite depth and strength in our island’s young athletes and they deserve every opportunity we can bring them,” she said.
* Matthew Simon is at msimon@mauinews.com.
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