by guest blogger Antonio Raphael
This past month 98 Parkrose students took part in the annual Elevate Oregon basketball camp at Parkrose High School. 1st through 8th graders learned basketball and life skills from Elevate high school leaders and staff. Coach Xavier Dupree created an atmosphere to get kids active and engaged with their peers. We hope this gives you inspiration to send your child to next year's Elevate Oregon Basketball Camp!
Bringing excitement to the Parkrose community through sports and togetherness
Elevate Oregon’s Community Basketball camp is not your typical week long summer camp. This is a free camp for the entire community. Rather than focusing on all the nitty gritty aspects of basketball, Coach Dupree set up a week of pure enthusiasm by making it fun and building long-lasting character. As each day passed, we saw kids build on their excitement to play basketball and make new friends.
Learning from a professional
Coach Dupree, currently an Elevate Teacher/Mentor, brought his experience as an overseas professional basketball player to lead this year's camp. Coach Dupree is an entrepreneur by nature as he runs his own streetwear brand called Loyalty Love. But he also has a passion for serving the community and was able to do so through leading this year’s camp. “We’re bringing excitement to the Parkrose community with sports and togetherness,” said Xavier. Elevate Oregon was very lucky to have him leading the camp with his level of basketball IQ and his love for the game.
What did they learn?
Teamwork is one of the most important elements of successful basketball. Elevate coaches supported kids in learning each others’ strengths and working together to achieve a certain outcome. Additionally there were a lot of moments for growth as kids were given real advice from staff and mentors on what they need to work on in the sport of basketball.
After a week at Elevate Oregon’s Basketball camp your child may come back home with a different perspective on teamwork and staying fit. This is truly a unique experience that is creating a lot of buzz for the Parkrose community. I recommend checking out Elevate Oregon’s website to learn more about how we are building relationships with youth to promote education, self-reliance and achievement in the Parkrose School District.
Antonio Raphael is a Journalism student in his senior year at the University of Oregon. Find him on Instagram, website coming soon!