Yokota youth participate in basketball camp

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Krystal M. Garrett
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  More than 100 youth from military bases in the western Pacific region participated in the Mainland Basketball Camp held April 9-13 at Yokota Air Base, Japan.

The camp, taught by college coaches from the U.S., focused on teaching the basic fundamentals of basketball as well as life skills.

"This camp was put together to give youth stationed overseas the opportunity to have the experiences and exposure to some of the same things youth in the states have," said Mark Burton, a member of the 374th Mission Support Group and vice president of the Mainland Basketball Camp Association.

The camp was started three years ago in Okinawa, Japan. This year is the first time the camp was held at Yokota.

"We are focusing on tying basketball skills into life skills," said John Mayes, director of the Creating Access to Educational Opportunity through Sports Foundation co-organizer of this year's camp.

Coaches for the camp were recruited by the C.A.E.O.S Foundation.

According to the foundation's website, the foundation was created to assist ethnically diverse students in accessing educational opportunities through sports participation and to also use sports participation as a vehicle to shape the socioeconomic outlook for participating students.