More than 50 North Carolina middle school students will lace up their sneakers alongside current and former college athletes at basketball camps this summer thanks to scholarships from North Carolina’s electric cooperatives.
These students will have the chance to learn from two of the nation’s top programs – UNC men’s basketball and NC State women’s basketball.
The scholarships cover all expenses – from meals to lodging to all-day fun – at the overnight camps in June. Scholarship winners will get to experience life on a college campus – staying overnight in dorms with other campers, eating in dining halls, walking campus grounds and learning fundamental life skills. On top of this unique opportunity, each camper will receive individual and group instruction from Division I coaches and players to enhance their basketball and team-building abilities.
Wes Moore, coach of the Wolfpack women’s basketball team, and Hubert Davis, coach of the Tar Heel men’s basketball team will direct the camps with the help of staff and players.
“Over the years in coaching and watching talent develop, I have found that athletic skill and potential are not bound by where you live, where you go to school, or your background,” said NC State University Women’s Basketball Coach Wes Moore. “Because of this partnership with North Carolina’s electric cooperatives, we can help kids from all over the state attend our camp and discover their true potential on and off the court.”
This summer marks the 21st year that North Carolina’s electric cooperatives will award basketball camp scholarships to middle school students across the state. The program has helped students discover opportunities beyond the court, including an early look at what college has to offer.
“As an educator, I truly admire what North Carolina’s electric cooperatives are doing with this scholarship program,” said Kellie Bradley, parent of a 2023 scholarship winner from Rutherford EMC and Polk County elementary school teacher. “Sports may be the only positive in some of these children’s lives and after visiting a campus like NC State or UNC, it may spark some interest in pursuing college.”
The Wolfpack Women’s Basketball Camp will be held June 16-19 at NC State, and the Men’s Carolina Basketball School will occur June 22-26 at UNC.
Applications are now open and will close on March 31st.
To be eligible, students must be a rising sixth or seventh grader at a qualifying school in North Carolina. To learn more about the basketball camp scholarship program and apply, visit www.ncelectriccooperatives.com/sportscamps.