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LOS ANGELES – The WNBA has a long-time tradition of hosting what they call ‘Camp Days,’ during which teams host early afternoon games filled with various kids’ summer camps. Every team in the league hosts a Camp Day each season, and for the Los Angeles Sparks, that day fell on July 10. The Sparks’ Camp Day coincided this year with the team’s annual ‘Balln On The Beach’ girls basketball tournament, attended by Dearica Hamby and Rickea Jackson.
The Sparks have hosted their girls basketball tournament at the legendary Venice Beach Courts at various times throughout the past couple of years, and this year’s tournament featured a 3×3 format with three different divisions; Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8 and Grades 9-12.
In addition to the Sparks’ 3×3 tournament, young hoopers were given the opportunity to take pictures and get autographs from Dearica Hamby and Rickea Jackson.
For Hamby, who is a mother of two young children, one of whom is starting to get into sports, these kinds of events are important to her considering she did not have the same opportunities when she was growing up. ‘Balln On The Beach’ in particular is unique in that no other teams in the WNBA have an event like that.
“It means a lot, first and foremost being able to pour back into the community. I didn’t have these kinds of resources growing up so to see where professional sports is now and being able to pour back into the community means lot,” Hamby said. “I have an eight-year-old that’s into sports and I know she’s out here enjoying herself. . .I think this will make LA special. Nobody else has this right now. So it’s cool, it’s not a normal basketball courts on the beach.”
The winners of each division of the 3×3 tournament were honored during the Sparks’ home game against the Connecticut Sun on Sunday. And just last month before Candace Parker’s jersey retirement, the Sparks played host to Her Game, a local girls basketball organization. In that event, some of the up and coming young girls basketball players got the opportunity to play on the Crypto.com Arena court before the team’s game against the Chicago Sky.
Rickea Jackson admitted that she was a bit of a late bloomer and was actually into other activities such as ballet and cheerleading at a young age before she got into basketball. But now as a WNBA player, she relishes the opportunity to be present for the younger generation.
“It’s fun just interacting with the kids and just getting to know them. . .it’s always fun to give back to the community,” Jackson said. “It’s very important. They look up to us, they have goals and aspirations to do whatever they want in life. So for us to be able to be here and meet them and make their dreams come true, means a lot.”
And these events come at a time when the WNBA is seeing an explosion in popularity and a lot more eyes on the sport. Some of the younger WNBA players, like Jackson, have played a major role in the increased attention the league is getting. And for Dearica Hamby, it’s important to continue hosting community events geared towards young children as part of the WNBA’s efforts to keep building this momentum.
“We talk about the number of young girls that drop out of sports as they grow older,” Hamby said. “And so just things like this to keep a motivating society, something they look forward to. And as the W continues to grow, nobody is going to have LA weather, except for maybe Miami, so this kind of the best of both worlds.”
