It was like “hoop dreams” almost coming true for promising basketball talent in the south-eastern Nigeria city of Enugu as a foundation set up in the city by Denver Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji brought experienced basketball coaches from the US to run coaching clinics from 8 to 11 April.
The promising youngsters being exposed to quality basketball coaching for the first time included students from the College of Immaculate Conception (CIC), Enugu. The foundation’s mission is “to positively impact the lives of young people throughout Africa and the United States through education and athletics”. This mission has led to the foundation establishing a world class facility – The Lionsden Athletics Club in Agbani, a suburb of Enugu.
This has come in handy for schools in the city such as CIC, a few miles down the road and has encouraged the rapid development of the school’s basketball programme since former students of the school gifted it with a multimillion dollar sports centre that includes a basketball court. The starry-eyed schoolkids have already started benefiting from their school’s alliance with the foundation.
The four-day basketball camp was an opportunity to to teach the youths the core fundamentals of the game, but most importantly, the life skills that team sports like basketball teaches them – such as determination, perseverance, teamwork and accountability. Coach Kerry Sutherland, who led in delivering the clinic, has been coaching in the US for over 40 years and has coached the likes of former NBA star Kris Humphries, Amir Coffey of the LA Clippers and Nnaji. He has not only coached many that turned pro, but most importantly, he has helped mould them into great humans.
The others in the coaching team that came to Enugu were Trent Davis, a high school basketball coach, who is a veteran coach, and Gabrielle Grier, who has played and coached young women in the state of Minnesota.
Coach Sutherland with coaches and staff at the foundation.
The aim of the Nnaji Foundation is to run these clinics twice each year as they attempt to grow the game from the grassroots in south-eastern Nigeria. They also run referees and coaching clinics so that the infrastructure needed to make sure their plans are sustainable will be available to the community. There will be another camp at their facility on 22 May run in conjunction with NBA Africa – the African affiliate of the NBA with “the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball”. Afam, Zeke Nnaji’s dad and co-founder of the foundation, who was born and raised in Enugu told Naijiant.com: “Everything we do is guided by our motto of each one reach one and each one teach one. We hope that as these kids grow older they will learn how to pay it forward by helping others who may not necessarily say ‘thanks’.”
