The squeak of rubber soles on a gym floor was non-stop Monday and Tuesday as several Clermont Police Officers traded their uniforms and patrol cars for sneakers and shorts and hosted a basketball camp for local youth.
“We want to reach as many kids as we can and show them police officers go above and beyond the call of duty and do more than respond to tragic incidents and instances involving criminality,” Clermont Police Chief Charles Broadway said.
“Basketball is so relatable and such a fun way to spend quality time with these kids and let them see another side, a more fun side, to police officers.”
As the inaugural event, organizers weren’t sure what to expect. “We started with 30 slots and those filled up in less than three hours,” Sgt. Chris Martin said. “We continued to have such a huge demand, we added another 45 slots and those filled up just as fast.”
On the first day, boys and girls between 9 and 15 years of age, rotated around the gym at Clermont Elementary School to learn basic basketball skills like dribbling, passing and shooting.
The second day, campers worked on drills and learned how to play as a team. Some were already pretty good and for others, it was their first time on a court.
“We couldn’t have done this without the support of our officers, and others in our community who know basketball and love kids,” Chief Broadway said. “We even had former NBA stars Pat Burke, Bo Outlaw and Keil Zepernick stop by and work with the kids.”
Each camper received a certificate of completion and a camp T-shirt. The free camp was funded by money seized from illegal activities.
“These kids were great,” Chief Broadway said. “They kept us moving, but at the end of the day, there were so many positive connections made.”
And, according to Sgt. Martin, the camp was such a success, he promised more would be planned. He added the next one might involve fishing poles!
