August 26—The Philadelphia 76ers have once again showed their commitment to contributing to the fabric of Camden, by creating the Camden Youth Basketball Clinic. This project came to fruition through a partnership with Virtua Health, “the Official New Jersey Health Community Partner of the 76ers.” The annual three-day summer clinic held its inaugural event on August 23-25 at Camden’s Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center. Future clinics will be held at the Sixers practice facility in downtown Camden, expected to be completed by Summer 2016. The training headquarters is said to provide an estimated 200 jobs to Camden residents, and with the inclusion of the basketball clinic, Camden youth will also be able to benefit from what will hopefully be the world’s finest practice complex.
The Camden Youth Basketball Clinic was designed to not only improve basketball skills, but also to improve the overall health and wellness of children in Camden and the surrounding South Jersey region. The clinic hosted more than 800 Camden-area children, ages 10-14, in which the youth were able to develop their skills, as well as acquire new abilities to add to their basketball repertoire.
Aside from basketball practice and development, the 76ers staff and Virtua experts provided children with programming centered on physical fitness, nutrition, and wellness. Virtua representatives spoke on topics such as proper stretching techniques, injury response/treatment, equipment use, and acceptable food/beverage consumption. By placing a focus on health initiatives, children left the camp with greater appreciation for the components that go into living a healthy and active lifestyle.
As a leading health provider, Virtua has also shown its commitment in adding to the community even prior to the creation of the basketball camp through its Camden Health Center, which offers a range of services that includes primary care, outpatient treatment, and mental health programming for children. Virtua President and CEO, Richard P. Miller, also commented on the Camden Youth Basketball Clinic by saying, “Children look up to athletes as role models and partnering with the Sixers helps us convey the importance of good nutrition, adopting healthy habits, and keeping fit and active.”
In addition to improving their basketballs skills, gaining a wider knowledge about health and sustainability, and interacting with sports figures, the children were also able to take a home a number of gifts that included a basketball, jersey, backpack, and a pair of sneakers provided by Adidas. Events such as the basketball clinic are important in that it gives youth an opportunity to take part in an enriching experience that shows them a different perspective than what they may have been accustomed to in their everyday lives. On the significance of what the Virtua-sponsored clinic brings to the city, Sixers CEO said, “Together, we have created programming that will provide a solid foundation for the city and South Jersey’s youth, teaching them life skills both in the classroom and on the court through basketball while providing them with a safe place to learn and play.”
The partnership between the City of Camden and the 76ers continues to blossom, as it is quite evident that there is a shared goal of improving the health of young people in the community by providing a foundation that will allow them to learn and grow.
--Submitted by Alexander Darling
