Some of the 20 Cayman players show off the awards won at the basketball camp on the Eckerd College Campus in St Petersburg, Florida. Also in picture, back right, are Coach Victor “Voot” O’Garro and Coach Daniel Augustine.

A group of youngsters from Grand Cayman represented the Cayman Islands at the Eckerd College Individual Camp, held in St Petersburg, Florida, from 29 June–5 July.

For the past 10 years, the Cayman Islands Basketball Association (CIBA) has been promoting the sport locally by arranging various domestic and international camps, whereby Caymanian children ages 7-17 can learn the sport, improve their individual skills, play at a competitive level, make friends, build character and for some, find their niche in life. As of 2009, CIBA will be accommodating children up to 18 years old, due to the past skill level.

This year’s performance at the Eckerd College individual camp was a great success, with 20 athletes, both juniors and seniors, from the CIBA program excelling in their games. The youngest player, Joshua O’Garro, 6, won the overall award and trophies for free throw champion and overall camper.

Tikko Moore, who has brought back various basketball awards for the past two years, helped his team win the five-on-five tournaments for ages 14-16, and Davani James’ team won the three-on-three tournaments.

In addition to those achievements, six Caymanian youngsters made the All-Star selection at the awards ceremony, held on campus.

“We, as coaches, certainly believe that playing on an international level - with full-sized indoor courts - against other competitors from around the world, helped our Caymanian players to elevate their own standards and expectations of themselves, and this is reflected in the awards that they achieved, and the sense of self-satisfaction and gratification that each player expressed,” said coach Daniel Augustine.

“All of our players displayed great enthusiasm and appreciation for the opportunity to participate in an overseas program of this magnitude, and the opportunity to meet and interact with other players from around the world.”

Coach Augustine added: “Our current players are definitely looking forward to next year’s overseas camp, while bearing in mind that despite the setbacks, here in Cayman, the only way to make it to a higher level, is to work harder.

“We as coaches, feel that our players are prepared to do just that, and this is something that we will continue to instill in each of them.”