This summer marks the 23rd year of the A.C. Green Basketball Camp. The camp is held at Concordia College in Portland. The campus is just five blocks away from where I grew up. I started the camp my rookie year in the NBA because I wanted to give back to my hometown. There was a need for an affordable basketball camp that teaches children the life skills to succeed in life and the proper fundamentals of basketball. It’s our goal to see them become responsible young adults. The camp consists of boys and girls ages 9 to14. A typical day starts at 8am to noon, and the next session is from 1pm to 4pm. The next camp runs July 28-Aug 1 in Los Angeles.Read the full blog here.
Showing posts with label leadership camp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leadership camp. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
AC talks about camp
AC Green is a contributor to the Legends of Basketball blog - in a recent post, he had a lot to say about his leadership basketball camp:
Tuesday, September 24, 2002
Miss America Katie Harman's biography
Age: 21Hometown: Gresham, OR
Platform: Providing Support for Terminal Breast Cancer Patients
College: Portland State University
Major: Speech communication, vocal performance
Goals: To obtain a master's degree in Bioethics and pursue a career in health care management
Katie's Scrapbook
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| AC and Katie in 1996 |
To improve my skills and provide more playing experience, I attended AC Green's Leadership Basketball Camp, at Concordia College the summer before my sophomore year. His experience as a professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns called for intense workouts, practices and games. As one of six girls, outnumbered by 94 boys, I really had to work hard to keep up with many great male athletes. The fact that I was the only girl on my team, five foot three in a lineup of six foot two boys, plus a little too cheerful for my own good, proved very challenging indeed. Despite the obstacles, I absolutely loved the camp and learned so much. I was very proud of myself for participating in the camp, even though I was not a very skilled player. My attitude toward basketball changed from that moment on and I respect the game, as well as the skills it takes to play the game, now more than ever. I look back at my experiences at AC Green Camp with fond memories and remember the many people who went out of their way to help me improve, plus the great friendships I gained with outstanding players from around the Portland area, who like me, just wanted to "hoop it up."
Thanks for sharing your memories Katie!
Former Camper Crowned Miss America!
Saturday, September 22, Katie Harman was crowned Miss America 2002. Her response to winning..."woo hoo!" We at ClubAC.com also have something to cheer about. Katie, an Oregon native, attended A.C. Green's Leadership Camp in 1996. While not the best athlete at the camp, and certainly not the tallest (she stands just 5 feet 3 inches tall), Katie stood tall at the camp. In fact, she won the award for most valuable person - not player.
Becoming the most valuable person you can be is something that must be worked at continuously. Katie seems to have grasped this truth with both hands. (That's more important than learning to grasp a basketball could ever be.) We are thrilled by the success stories of past campers such as Katie, and look forward to hearing more about her achievements in the months and years to come.
Katie, we wish you the best of luck during your reign as Miss America. Continue to pursue your goals and always remember to bend those knees and follow through on your free throws!
Sunday, September 15, 2002
More than just a basketball camp
A.C. Green aims to teach skills of life
Originally published 8/9/96 in The Arizona Republic, written by Jim Gintonio.
Used with permission. Permission does not imply endorsement.
There was A.C. Green, all 6-feet-9 of him, in this kid’s face. And the little guy was loving it.
Green, perhaps the NBA’s most atypical player, was down on his knees on the basketball floor, looking the youngster in the eye. That they were communicating on the same level and that Green was making a connection was obvious.
An onlooker just shook his head and said. "He’s one of the few stars who would take time to work like that with kids. This is an experience these kids will remember for the rest of their lives."
Green’s hands-on approach is the main reason his leadership basketball camps have been so successful. About 130 youngsters ages 9-15 attended his all-expenses paid camp at Central High School last week. The A.C. Green Programs for Youth sponsors camps in Phoenix, Los Angeles and Portland, Ore.
Basketball is a big part of the proceedings, but it’s the other aspects of the camp that excite Green, signed by the Suns through the 1998-99 season.
"Just a regular basketball camp has a purpose if you just want to teach basketball skills," said Green, who has a daily prominent role. We want to teach life skills. That’s why we set up these camps.
"We stress leadership and help gear kids toward the right values and help them make good decisions."
Academics, career exploration and self-esteem counseling remain the constants at any camp Green conducts. The youngsters go on three educational field trips during the week. The Phoenix contingent visited the Air National Guard, Crow’s Dairy Farm and the Scottsdale Police Department.
Green realizes that almost every youngster who passes through one of his camps probably dreams of a lifetime of adulation and riches. Most won’t make it, and there’s nothing wrong with that, Green says.
We try to destroy the myth that someone has to be an entertainer or an athlete to be successful in life," he said. That’s why we do the field trip, to open up doors and show them that there’s other ways to be successful. You don’t have to be in a glamour role of an entertainer or an athlete to be successful. You don’t have to be in a glamour role of an entertainer or an athlete to be successful."
It’s the fact that most of these kids come from poorer backgrounds that gives Mike Driscoll, a former high-school coach in the Valley, a nice feeling about the camp.
"This is really for kids who are usually left out of everything," he said. "A.C. wants to be the leader of this camp, and he’s here all week. He wants the kids to hear his voice, and they do."
Earnest Turner, a family counselor at the Arizona Boys Ranch who brought some of the school’s students to the camp, was enthusiastic.
"Anything you can do to help kids is great," he said. "He (Green) chooses to do something for kids, and that’s great.
"This really is a lot more than just a basketball camp. He shows the kids…that he can be a coach, a friend and a father figure. I guess I was a little shocked at first that he sat there and had conversations with them. Some of the big-time athletes get a chip on their shoulder."
A chip on his shoulder is something that Green, who has become well known for his views on sexual abstinence, never had, according to one of the coaches who recruited him to play at Oregon State.
Steve Seidler, now a teacher at Central High School, directed the basketball operation at the camp. He said he knew Green was the type of athlete he wanted at OSU.
"When you’re voicing your beliefs at a time when it’s not the thing to do, it tests your faith," he said. "You can wilt under pressure or be strong. A.C. was always strong. I’ve known him since 1981, and he’s a tremendous individual.
We liked the type of person he was when we were recruiting him. He was always a settling influence on the team."
Seidler and the other volunteers are proud of the fact that the youngsters who show up at Green’s camps are similar in many respects.
"All the kids are top-notch," Seidler said. "They’re disciplined and well-mannered. As for the coaches we pick, we want someone who fits into what our beliefs are."
Green knows the type of work it takes to be a volunteer at his camp.
"We appreciate everyone, even if they can come for only a day," he said. "It’s important for kids to see that other people are here to support the leaders of tomorrow."
Green has never strayed from the beliefs that were instilled in him as a youngster in Portland.
"Anyone who is in this position, or even is older than the kids, is a role model," he said. "The question is, will you be a good role model or a bad one."
One way he makes that point is by not disappointing the youngsters in the camp.
"I’m here every moment," he said. "It’s not the type of camp where I just make an appearance. It’s my camp, and my name is more important to me than riches."
Originally published 8/9/96 in The Arizona Republic, written by Jim Gintonio.
Used with permission. Permission does not imply endorsement.
There was A.C. Green, all 6-feet-9 of him, in this kid’s face. And the little guy was loving it.
Green, perhaps the NBA’s most atypical player, was down on his knees on the basketball floor, looking the youngster in the eye. That they were communicating on the same level and that Green was making a connection was obvious.
An onlooker just shook his head and said. "He’s one of the few stars who would take time to work like that with kids. This is an experience these kids will remember for the rest of their lives."
Green’s hands-on approach is the main reason his leadership basketball camps have been so successful. About 130 youngsters ages 9-15 attended his all-expenses paid camp at Central High School last week. The A.C. Green Programs for Youth sponsors camps in Phoenix, Los Angeles and Portland, Ore.
Basketball is a big part of the proceedings, but it’s the other aspects of the camp that excite Green, signed by the Suns through the 1998-99 season.
"Just a regular basketball camp has a purpose if you just want to teach basketball skills," said Green, who has a daily prominent role. We want to teach life skills. That’s why we set up these camps.
"We stress leadership and help gear kids toward the right values and help them make good decisions."
Academics, career exploration and self-esteem counseling remain the constants at any camp Green conducts. The youngsters go on three educational field trips during the week. The Phoenix contingent visited the Air National Guard, Crow’s Dairy Farm and the Scottsdale Police Department.
Green realizes that almost every youngster who passes through one of his camps probably dreams of a lifetime of adulation and riches. Most won’t make it, and there’s nothing wrong with that, Green says.
We try to destroy the myth that someone has to be an entertainer or an athlete to be successful in life," he said. That’s why we do the field trip, to open up doors and show them that there’s other ways to be successful. You don’t have to be in a glamour role of an entertainer or an athlete to be successful. You don’t have to be in a glamour role of an entertainer or an athlete to be successful."
It’s the fact that most of these kids come from poorer backgrounds that gives Mike Driscoll, a former high-school coach in the Valley, a nice feeling about the camp.
"This is really for kids who are usually left out of everything," he said. "A.C. wants to be the leader of this camp, and he’s here all week. He wants the kids to hear his voice, and they do."
Earnest Turner, a family counselor at the Arizona Boys Ranch who brought some of the school’s students to the camp, was enthusiastic.
"Anything you can do to help kids is great," he said. "He (Green) chooses to do something for kids, and that’s great.
"This really is a lot more than just a basketball camp. He shows the kids…that he can be a coach, a friend and a father figure. I guess I was a little shocked at first that he sat there and had conversations with them. Some of the big-time athletes get a chip on their shoulder."
A chip on his shoulder is something that Green, who has become well known for his views on sexual abstinence, never had, according to one of the coaches who recruited him to play at Oregon State.
Steve Seidler, now a teacher at Central High School, directed the basketball operation at the camp. He said he knew Green was the type of athlete he wanted at OSU.
"When you’re voicing your beliefs at a time when it’s not the thing to do, it tests your faith," he said. "You can wilt under pressure or be strong. A.C. was always strong. I’ve known him since 1981, and he’s a tremendous individual.
We liked the type of person he was when we were recruiting him. He was always a settling influence on the team."
Seidler and the other volunteers are proud of the fact that the youngsters who show up at Green’s camps are similar in many respects.
"All the kids are top-notch," Seidler said. "They’re disciplined and well-mannered. As for the coaches we pick, we want someone who fits into what our beliefs are."
Green knows the type of work it takes to be a volunteer at his camp.
"We appreciate everyone, even if they can come for only a day," he said. "It’s important for kids to see that other people are here to support the leaders of tomorrow."
Green has never strayed from the beliefs that were instilled in him as a youngster in Portland.
"Anyone who is in this position, or even is older than the kids, is a role model," he said. "The question is, will you be a good role model or a bad one."
One way he makes that point is by not disappointing the youngsters in the camp.
"I’m here every moment," he said. "It’s not the type of camp where I just make an appearance. It’s my camp, and my name is more important to me than riches."
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