Chipola Men’s Basketball Getting the Community Involved with Basketball

Posted by Admin July 14, 2024 Basketball

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Over on the hardwood up at Chipola, Coach Donnie Tyndall and his team have been putting in the work for the past month or so, preparing to defend their state title. Leading up to that title run, the Indians went 28-5 overall and 10-2 in conference play, a mark that also saw them win the Panhandle Conference, their 4th straight.

And while their work on the court is important, the work they’re doing to give back to a community that supports them tremendously year in and year out, is just as big of a staple. This year, they’re doing it with a camp. Their 2nd in fact.

Starting this Monday, the Indians will host their 2nd straight youth basketball camp, lead by Coach Tyndall and his players. A camp with the focus of creating community familiarity.

“You know, I said when I got the job that I wanted to build community relations. Getting our kids into schools to speak, to read the classrooms, getting out and meeting and greeting people. Myself, speaking to the Rotary Club, the Qantas Club, all those things that come with being a head coach and letting people get to know you. Then you get some ownership from the people in the community and they want to come out and support you and I think having a basketball camp is part of that. The parents get to see how good our players are with their young kid and they get to spend some time around our players and get pictures after camp and get to know them and then all of a sudden, they like a guy, you know, and so they want to come back and watch him play and support him. So I think all that kind of builds on itself and and so we’re excited to do it again starting Monday”, said Coach Tyndall.

The camp also has the purpose of molding the Chipola men into men and improve their life skills.

“Well you know, it’s great to build people skills. A lot of these kids have never had to speak in front of a group, or coach a group and so we make them do that and it develops them and grows them as people. You know, I think that’s the thing about this level, guys are moving up and moving on real quick, fast, and in a hurry but while they’re here they’ve got to get better, not just at basketball. So, those life skills that they get to develop and grow at and part of working camp, talking to people, meeting and great and all that is part of life skills”, said Coach Tyndall.

The camp starting Monday and running through Wednesday, it will go from 9am to 3pm. All the campers need is a ball and a lunch.