Grand Canyon University basketball's Chance McMillian gives back by hosting youth camp

When Grand Canyon University men’s basketball guard Chance McMillian grew up in Vallejo, California, always had to believe in himself to make it to the Division I level.

Although the incoming junior attended basketball camps in his hometown throughout his childhood, the camps were never run by high-profile collegiate or professional basketball players, he said.

Now, McMillian is taking it upon himself to inspire kids in the Phoenix community.

“When I was younger, I didn't really have anyone that played, like, Division I in my area, basketball, so I felt like it was nice to go back to the younger kids and tell them that there’s hope,” McMillian said. “Because if I had that when I was younger... I’d appreciated the game more, playing knowing that there’s someone who told me that I can make it.”

McMillian hosted the first of what he hopes is multiple summer skills camps for local kids on June 9. He partnered with PickUpUSA, a basketball-focused gym in Chandler, for the camp.

PickUpUSA’s Chandler location is hosting weekly skills camps with collegiate athletes on Saturday mornings throughout the summer, Vice President of Marketing Aaron Magno said. GCU men’s basketball players Holland Woods and Jovan Blacksher Jr. have hosted a skills camp with PickUpUSA, as well as Arizona State women’s basketball players Gabriela Bosquez and Jaddan Simmons.

“With our weekly skills clinics, it allows the youth basketball players in our community to train with Division I collegiate athletes and give them the opportunity to train with them and see what it takes to play at the next level,” Magno said.

Magno said PickUpUSA started the weekly skills clinics by reaching out to Division I athletes in the Valley. But as the clinics gained more traction, Magno said, athletes became more interested.

McMillian reached out to PickUpUSA with interest in putting on a skills camp.

“I think, for him, he wanted to kind of just give back to the community,” Magno said. “And just, he's played basketball like all his life, so it was kind of his way to give back the knowledge that he’s learned throughout the years to the next generation of basketball players in the area.”

PickUpUSA is a membership-based gym, Magno said. Monthly membership fees are $34.99 for access to all services, including the skills camps. Magno said that typically, the same kids attend the skills camps put on by collegiate athletes every week. So, McMillian worked with PickUpUSA trainers to come up with a specific curriculum that differs from previous camps.

McMillian said 30-40 kids came to his camp last weekend, including some that found out about the event off of his Instagram. Although the event only ran for one hour, McMillian said PickUpUSA made sure everything was organized and went smoothly.

And McMillian made sure to give individual time to each attendee.

“I talked to each of the kids individually and their parents,” McMillian said. “I'm like, ‘Just keep them in basketball, keep them focused, keep them busy in sports or whatever sport that the kid likes.’”

McMillian is planning another skills camp in the Phoenix area in early July. He also said if he ever has the chance, he’d love to host a basketball camp in his hometown.

"I'm just sitting in my room realizing, like, how much stuff I have and what I'm able to do," McMillian said. "I can't take things for granted. So, I'm just giving other people some knowledge that I have, whether it's on the court or not."

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Grand Canyon University basketball's Chance McMillian hosts youth summer camps