The Los Angeles Sparks’ season ended Saturday night, but that didn’t stop star forward Candace Parker from making a special visit to Malibu High School the next day to share her knowledge and experiences of basketball with a group of wide-eyed kids.
Parker, perhaps the most famous female basketball player in the world, spent last Sunday afternoon teaching fundamentals and answering questions about the sport she grew up playing just outside Chicago.
“I was excited to be here,” Parker said. “I really enjoy working with kids. I remember attending camps when I was young and it is fun for me as well as the kids.”
Parker was invited by Amy Crittenden, recreation manager for the City of Malibu. The NFL donated $50,000 to the City of Malibu two years ago on behalf of its “NFL Play 60” program, which aims to improve the health of children by encouraging them to be active for at least 60 minutes a day.
Crittenden is using the money to promote youth sports in Malibu. In February, softball star Jessica Mendoza conducted a softball camp at Bluffs Park. Crittenden intends to bring volleyball legend Kerri Walsh to Malibu in the near future for volleyball. Soccer and football clinics are also on the horizon.
Parker is one of the most decorated players in the history of women’s basketball. In 2008, she became the first WNBA player to win both the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards. During her college career at the University of Tennessee, Parker led the Volunteers to two national championships and was named National Player of the Year twice.
But Parker, 25, is perhaps best known for becoming the first female to dunk in an NCAA Tournament game as a freshman versus Army, and she was also the first woman to dunk twice in any game.
Crittenden asked Parker to come to Malibu to impart her wisdom on the finer parts of basketball.
The clinic consisted of four fundamental stations of shooting, passing, dribbling and defense. After 15 minutes of each station, Parker answered questions from the campers.
“It was great,” Nina Hungerland, 13, said. “The camp helped out in different areas of basketball. I really enjoyed shooting.”
“The camp was a lot of fun,” Dante Brown, 11, added. “I got to meet a very cool basketball player today. I had a lot of fun playing basketball.”
Parker, who missed the first month of the 2009 WNBA season after giving birth to her own daughter, was happy to see the kids who took time out of their weekend to be a part of the free clinic.
“I think it’s just fun to see the kids who want to be in the gym and want to be here,” Parker said. “Not because their parents want them to be here but because they love basketball. That’s how I was. I think it is cool they are taking their Sunday to be here. It’s great that the parents are here too and supporting what their kids love to do and that is to play basketball.”
Crittenden felt the day was a success. “This was a wonderful opportunity and the kids had a great time,” Crittenden said. “Candace is very good with the kids and she had a good time herself.
“We want to encourage children in the city of Malibu and outside of Malibu to want to stay active and also to know what it is like and what kind of dedication it takes to potentially become a professional athlete. Our focus is also to keep girls playing sports. It’s all about showing kids what they need to know from the athletic aspect and how to be dedicated to their homework and staying focused.”