By Daniel Evans

 

The Selma Times-Journal

 

 

 

A Christian organization is using basketball as a way to reach out to area youth about the Bible.

 

All in Sports Outreach, Inc. hosted a youth basketball camp in Selma Monday-Wednesday for children ages 5-18.

 

The organization was started by Stewart Hardy and Rand Smith, who are both Morgan Academy graduates.

 

“We believe sports is a very proven vehicle to reach youth today, not just in Selma but anywhere, so our model is using basketball skills to get kids together out of their homes, playing together and trying to bring some unity,” Hardy said.

 

Every 45 minutes or so participants were given a break where they drank water and listened as a team member went over virtues and a Bible verse.

 

Every day when they left they received a card with virtue words discussed that day and a scripture from the Bible and were challenged to go home and memorize it.

 

“In three days they would have been exposed to seven to nine Bible verses through this and virtue words — knowledge, passion, integrity, honesty, discipline, determination,” Hardy said.

 

The camp took place in a parking lot across from the Selma Water office Wednesday, but was also held at R.B. Hudson Middle School and the School of Discovery.

 

The group’s board is made up of six people from Selma that want to make a difference in their hometown.

 

Four of those board members still live in the Queen City, including Smith who serves as a youth director at Church Street Methodist Church.

 

“Kids, basketball, Christ and Selma are four things I’m passionate about and combining them all together have been a beautiful thing,” Smith said.

 

Hardy said over 100 children had participated in the camp throughout the week and that around 20 even stuck around through Tuesday’s rain.

 

On Wednesday campers were taught the fundamentals of the game, including how to shoot free throws and three-pointers. Team members and participants even played against one another in a 5-on-5 basketball game.

 

Volunteer Marvin Hollman, who lifeguards at the YMCA of Selma-Dallas County, said his passion for helping youth made him want to help out.

 

“This is the most fun I’ve ever had coaching kids,” Hollman said.

 

The theme of the camp was “All in,” taken from Colossians 3:17, which reads “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

 

“We are trying to instill in these kids that no matter what they do in life — sports, family, school, their spiritual life — you’ve got to be all in. Don’t do anything halfway,” Hardy said.