Mr. Joseph Farroba has been conducting a basketball camp in Anguilla, for the past 7 years, in collaboration with the Department of Sports. He admitted that one of the motivating factors for him and his team was the opportunity to work with the raw talent in Anguilla. He believes that, given the right attention, there are quite a few talented young men and women who could make it into the college ranks – and even push to playing professionally in the US or Europe.
Collectively the team of coaches has over 100 years coaching experience. Head Coach Farroba and Mr. Don Byron are both Hall of Famers in Massachusetts, and have amassed more than 15 coach of the year titles between them. They were ably assisted in conducting the local camp by Brian Ferris, Mike Byron, David Barrett, Jack Barrett and local coach Ian ‘Tucker’ Connor. “This year’s camp was not as well attended as previous years”, said Mr. Delano Mussington, Camp Coordinator and Sport Officer at the Department of Sports. “We just had 44 participants but they all enjoyed themselves immensely and we saw their skill levels improve over the week.”
Director of Sports, Andre Collins, revealed that the Department and the National Basketball Association would be working on starting a National Basketball Academy where Anguilla can further hone the skills of its youngsters.
Before returning to Boston, the coaching team identified 20 players who showed promise. These youngsters will form the nucleus of the basketball program as it gets started. Director Collins expressed his excitement and hopes for the program, and believes that it would be a great vehicle for developing local talent and providing the youngsters access to scholarships and other developmental opportunities.
The Department of Sports takes this opportunity to thank the local businesses that stepped up and provided support: E’s Oven Restaurant, Sunshine Shack, Veya Restaurant, Straw Hat, Andy’s Car Rental, Splash Villa and Ruthy’s Yum Yum Restaurant.
