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It was probably the summer’s biggest camp as close to one thousand children participated in the Ballers for Life Summer Camp – sponsored by the Belize Basketball Federation and UNICEF. It was held in all districts and ended with a tournament today at the City Center. 7News was there.

Keith Swift Reporting,
The tallest man in the building was 7 foot tall Dakin Braddick from South Carolina.

Dakin Braddick, National Team Candidate
“I got Belizean roots. My father was born in Corozal. These are my roots definitely, I ain’t no tourist or nothing so I am just looking forward and blessed to get a little more insight on my real roots.”

Keith Swift,
“So you’re seven feet tall. What can we expect from you?”

Dakin Braddick,
“You can expect me to just go hard out there. I have a heart. Beside my height I got the heart of an elephant so I am going to go hard and lay it all on the line. I will dive in the crowd just for a loose ball so that is the type of player I am.”

Keith Swift,
“You think you’ll make it on the team?”

Dakin Braddick,
“Oh yeah its nothing.”

And while Dakin is the tallest, the 6’ 2” Texas Tech alum Charlie Burgess was by far the most popular.

Charlie Burgess, National Team Candidate
“We’re practicing two times a day getting familiar with the players, getting used to the court, getting used to the new coaching style that we playing here because here it is an up and down pace so it is just something different you have to adjust to but so far my stay here has been good. All the people treating me good, the food is great, I can’t complain too much.”

Keith Swift,
“Is it what you expected?”

Charlie Burgess,
“For the most part. From what I remembered as a child being here, I remember always coming here and having fun and I am having fun as an adult being here.”

Keith Swift,
“How do you feel about the team?”

Charlie Burgess,
“Right now I feel real confident. We just got the dude that came in Alex and then I think Milt is coming in tomorrow and then somebody else is supposed to be coming so everybody coming in and we could finally see what the true chemistry will be like with the whole entire team here at one time.”

That new player is actually an old one –Alex Carcamo.

Alex Carcamo, National Team Candidate
“It feels good after seven years. I’ve been doing my own thing playing overseas. It feels to be called back.”

Keith Swift,
“So you arrived yesterday?”

Alex Carcamo,
“Yeah I arrived yesterday. Coming into the team I know we don’t fully have our team together but it will be good practice for me right now.”

Keith Swift,
“Have you see any of the other guys play yet?”

Alex Carcamo,
“I saw them play. Yesterday I joined them in practice. We look promising right now.”

Kevin Seroki, National Team Coach
“So far all the guys have done well of communicating with each other and that is a big thing for us in working together as a team and that is what you are looking for, guys who are not selfish and guys who again work together as a team and play hard. That is what we are looking for, guys who play hard and tough.”

The prospective members of the Basketball national team aren’t here for rehearsals, they are the guests of honours at the closing tournament of the Ballers for Life Basketball Summer Camp.

Julian Murillo, Secretary General – BBF
“Today is the last day or the culmination or climax of our two week Ballers for Life. What we have here today is what we call a grand youth rally where we brought in children from all over the country to participate. So we have children from all six districts and the number of kids here today is over 500 kids. Today we are actually selecting a champion for the under 17 male division.

The theme ‘Ballers for Life’ actually represents, we are trying to provide a positive alternative for children through sports, particularly basketball as well as the camp is designed to meet or develop the goal of the Basketball Federation to identify talent and developing the sport from a very young age in our children.”

Again the Copaba Tournament has been pushed back to August tenth to the fourteenth in Cancun.