NBA player Gabe Vincent returns to Modesto for Slam-N-Jam Basketball Camp

Though the line stretched the length of center court at Modesto Junior College, Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent greeted each newcomer with a smile.

The Modesto native returned to the Central Valley for the final day of the Modesto Slam-N-Jam Youth Basketball Camp, where he answered questions and instructed on drills for nearly 300 campers from second grade through high school.

The camp started Wednesday and ended Friday. The first two days, campers worked on drills to improve shooting, ball handling and defense. Friday, the kids let their hard work show with three hours of scrimmages.

And after all of the kids were done getting better, came the photo ops, of course.

“It means the world to me to be able to give back and look at these kids that are sitting in the places I once sat and doing things I once did,” said Vincent, who played in the Slam-N-Jam program from third through eighth grades. “To be able to speak to them and have them listen and be receptive, it’s awesome.”

Modesto Slam-N-Jam, which has put on summer camps since the late 1980s, this year hosted 250 second- through eighth-graders for the three-day event, nearly double the turnout from the 2022 camp. Spots filled quicker than even Slam-N-Jam director Bobby Cole Sr. anticipated and the event was moved to MJC.

Cole Sr. credits his wife, Rita Cole, their son Bobby Cole II and Miles Scott for all helping organize and spread awareness about Slam-N-Jam events for 36 years.

“It’s just come full circle for me, seeing where we came from with this camp to where it is now,” Cole Sr. said. “It’s just tons of people … our staff has done a great job with this camp and this is one of the biggest camps we’ve ever had with almost 300 kids.

“Miles and Bobby, those guys do a great job getting the word out to the community and getting it on our website. And my wife, if you think these events like the camp and the Six County All-Star Game are put together well, it’s because of her. She really has done a great job for us throughout and she’s been a wonderful wife to let me do this since 1987. I’m really thankful for her.”

The second- through fifth-graders went from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 9 a.m. to noon Friday. Middle schoolers took the court from 6 to 9 p.m. on the first two days and from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday. No matter the age group, the goal of the camp was the same.

“I want them to remember to have fun,” Vincent said. “The game is becoming more and more of a business the younger we get and it’s important to remember that it’s still a game and you’ve got to have fun with it, especially at their age. You’ve got to find joy in the game and that’s part of what helps your passion grow.”

For the first time local high school students participated in the camp. Slam-N-Jam hosted more than 25 freshmen, sophomores and juniors who were split into teams and played pickup basketball games for about two hours. After they were done playing, they enjoyed a pizza dinner and were given the chance to talk with Vincent about his journey.

“He’s talking about how he got where he got, when he started and the type of commitment you’ve got to have,” Cole Sr. said. “It’s not just going and playing, but all the other extra work that a lot of kids don’t see.”

Said Vincent: “They’re looking forward to getting into college. They’ve got aspirations of going beyond college and playing this game and they’ve continued to keep that and that’s part of why they are where they are now in their career in high school. I’m not around as much anymore but hopefully I’ll be able to put my fingerprints on them and if one kid comes away gaining something, it was worth it.”

Modesto Christian basketball adds transfer: Former Summerville High basketball standout Ry Atkins is transferring to Modesto Christian, according to The Union Democrat. The 6-foot-7 forward helped lead Summerville to the program’s most wins since 2017-18 and a trip to the Division IV section playoffs last year as a sophomore. He averaged 9.3 points, five rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game for the Mother Lode League’s third-best team. Atkins has played with the Crusaders in the MC Summer Classic, California Live and other summer events. Because he will not have a change of address, Atkins will have to sit out the mandated 30 days before playing a game for the Crusaders.

Atkins is one of many new faces for the Crusaders who will suit up alongside returner and rising sophomore Rashod Cotton, who averaged 9.4 points and 1.5 steals a game last season. Rising junior Ross Widemon, rising sophomore Folsom transfer Myles Jones and Durango of Las Vegas, Nevada transfer Mason Brown, a rising junior, are all primed for big seasons and have already impressed during the summer.

Ripon Christian named a Cal-Hi Sports School of the Year: Ripon Christian was named one of Cal-Hi Sports’ 2023 Schools of the Year in a July 4 article announcing the best in terms of success across all sports programs during the school year. Ripon Christian won the Division V School of the Year award, becoming just the third D-V winner from the Sac-Joaquin Section. Modesto Christian (2007) and Capital Christian of Sacramento (2015) won the other two awards.

The Knights won six Sac-Joaquin Section championships during the 2023-24 school year. The success started in the fall when the girls volleyball team (35-6) took its third straight section crown and rode a 12-game win streak to a D-IV State Championship. The Knights lead the section with 18 girls volleyball blue banners. Ripon Christian also won a section title in football, beating Woodland Christian for the D-VII section title, the program’s first in four trips.

They also captured boys basketball, boys golf and baseball section titles this year during the winter and spring seasons. Eli Terpsma led the basketball team (26-8) to a TVL title, a D-V section title and a state D-V NorCal Regional appearance. He was also key in the Knights baseball team (23-8) capturing a league championship and a D-VII section title, beating defending section champion Turlock Christian 11-3.

Cowell’s instant impact: Cade Cowell continues to impress during his time with Team USA in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. After subbing in during the second half of the final group stage game against Trinidad and Tobago, Cowell made an immediate impact, intercepting a pass before dribbling past the keeper and a defender to score his first international goal with the senior national team. The Ceres native finished with a goal and an assist, helping the U.S. to a 6-0 win. Cowell and the national team will play Canada at 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the quarterfinals.