Vince Carter continues to give back to his high school alma mater, Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida with his yearly basketball camp. Carter, who will be inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame this fall, hosted the camp for the 25th consecutive year. Carter discussed it a bit with the Daytona Beach News-Journal telling the paper “I enjoy doing camps,” Carter explained. “I enjoy working with kids. I enjoy trying to teach them life skills and values … We’ve been doing it so long, it’s kind of a part of my schedule, for one. And it’s just something I feel I’m supposed to do.”
Carter began his camps ahead of the 1998 NBA Draft, back then the camp was named after his high school head coach, Charles Brinkerhoff. As Carter’s notoriety grew, the name changed to the Vince Carter Youth Basketball Academy camp where he teaches kids the fundamentals of the game. The camp runs from July 20-July 23 and this year it had 141 attendees. According to the site: “Campers will be placed in teams determined by age and ability. The camp is open to girls and boys, ages 7-17. They will be taught basketball skills, teamwork, life skills and have fun! Vince participates on a daily basis, campers receive a team picture with Vince, one autographed item of their choice, and various give-aways and recognitions.”
A 1995 McDonald’s All-American, Carter led Maitland to its first state title in 56 years and following his senior season, enrolled at the University of North Carolina. Regarded as one of basketball’s greatest slam dunk artists, Carter went on to enjoy a 22-year NBA career and holds the distinction as the only player to have a career that touched 4 different decades. Carter was selected to the All-NBA Team twice and was an 8-time All-Star. Along with Carter, LeRoy Butler, Greg Coleman, Tom Coughlin, Ashlyn Harris, Jeff Johnson, Elaine Larson, and Shannon Miller will be inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame. Carter will be eligible for induction into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2024.
