Wade camp comes to Boca Raton

Published July 1st, 2008

By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS EDITOR

Kids in the Boca Raton area have a rare opportunity, as Miami Heat All-Star guard and two-time Olympian Dwyane Wade is coming to Levis JCC to run his second annual D. Wade All-Star Basketball Camp from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday.
Proceeds from the event, which is run by an organization called Pro Camps, will go to the Wade’s World Foundation.
Wade will be hosting this camp in the evenings on the heels of the other camp he is holding at FIU.

Jim Stoll, director of the Wade camp and co-founder of Pro Camps, said Wade chose Boca Raton because of his affinity for the city.

“He stays up there a lot,” Stoll said. “His mom and cousin have a place there, and he just likes to be in the area.”
A limited number of walk-up registrations will be accepted. Families hoping to sign up their boy or girl ages 7-14 should arrive at the Levis JCC Tuesday afternoon by 4 p.m. to fill out the camp registration form, and bring a check for $299.

The camp will be an exclusive affair with only about 100 kids enrolled. Attendees receive a camp T-shirt, basketball and a Wade autographed team photo.  Water will be available at all times, and pizza and Gatorade are available for purchase at the camp’s conclusion.

The camp will feature fundamental drills, from ball-handling to rebounding to shooting and playing defense. Because of the camp’s small size, many students will be able to interact with Wade on a more personal level than at a bigger camp.

Stoll said Wade often interrupts drills to show the kids a technique he would like them to work on. Like the other athletes who work with Pro Camps, Wade will be in attendance every hour each day of the week. Other Pro Camps luminaries include U.S. Olympic teammates Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony.

“He really enjoys it,” Stoll said of Wade. “His days at Marquette, he recognized early on what a person does in the offseason helps them become a better basketball player. And he tries to relate that to the kids.”
Aside from Wade, the camp boasts others with a wealth of basketball experience.
Stoll spent three years coaching at Miami (Ohio), where he met former player Gregg Darbyshire, who co-founded Pro Camps with Stoll.

Stoll had a second stint at the Division I coaching level at Wyoming from 1994-1996. Also, Karl Malone’s former coach Andy Russo will be on hand to help instruct the kids.

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