POSTED BY: Eurobasket Center
AT the conclusion of the four-day basketball youth camp at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym, clinic director Richard Dankworth of the University of the Nations wanted to leave NMI youth ith something more than the t-shirts and balls they received yesterday.
These are words of encouragement, which according to Dankworth may not only win them matches on the court, but also help them survive life抯 struggles.
"Shoot for your goals and realize your destiny. You can do it if you will adhere to the principles that we tried to convey to you. Make character a foundation in your lives," said Dankworth, who helped distribute a pamphlet entitled "Character Determines Success" to about 200 participants in the camp.
The pamphlet explains the 49 character qualities that help a person succeed in all his endeavors.
"Honor your parents, work hard in whatever God takes you into. Always be positive and your goals will be realized," added Dankworth, who is hoping that they have done a good job teaching NMI kids the fundamentals of the sport and the importance of character.
"We hope that they feel that we made a contribution here and that our efforts were not wasted with the sports community and the parents aiming to continue what we have started," Dankworth said.
Dankworth and the rest of the University of the Nations' delegates will be leaving early Monday morning with great pride, as the clinic director noticed a lot of progress from the kids even in this short time.
"They showed great determination to learn and improve their skills. With proper training and continuous guidance, I think you will some great basketball players in the future," he added.
After its Saipan trip, Dankworth said the group is planning to bring the character-building basketball clinic to other islands in the Pacific.
"We also received invitation from Japan and China. We will try to go to as many places as we can to continue or mission of developing youth character through basketball," he said.
Joining Dankworth back in Hawaii are Dan Dix and Mike Brown, while NBA veteran David Wood will be returning to Nevada before going to the Ukraine.
Dankworth said Wood will be playing with a professional team and will be challenging the Ukrainian National Team.
(Courtesy of Variety News)
