Harrogate, TN - The only thing more abundant than the sunshine and heat this week were smiles. The Lincoln Memorial men's basketball team held its Youth Skills Camp this week, beginning on Monday, and wrapped things up on Thursday afternoon with an awards ceremony. Campers were instructed in various drills which allowed them to showcase their abilities while simultaneously improving on those abilities. It was an opportunity for the community and Lincoln Memorial to further strengthen its bond and they did just that.

Men's basketball coach Jeremiah Samarrippas highlighted the importance and value of the LMU-community connection. "Its great for our team and university to connect with the community," he said. "A lot of these kids and their parents attend our games every year and its great for our players, coaches, and campers to get to connect individually and personally instead of watching from the stands. It really means a lot to our team and our university to engage with our community, especially the youth. It's always great when we can give back. Our players really enjoy doing this. Our guys have a high level of humility and serve as role models, so any time they get an opportunity to interact with the local youth, they seize any opportunity to do so. It does a lot for these guys. We love connecting with the community and representing LMU."

Assistant coach Patrick Good highlighted the determination of both the camp attendees and the parents as well. "It gives us a huge boost of energy," he said. "To see the smile on these kids' faces every morning and see the passion and energy they bring really gives us a spark. The parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles that bring these kids down do the same thing for us. Just seeing the dedication of these parents and these kids really makes us strive to be the best we can be for all of them. They're all extremely coachable and hard-working. It's incredible to see some of the kids that have been coming to this camp for a few years. To see the transition from year one, to two, to three, and so on, is incredible and it's truly a blessing for us. The camp is a great bridge between LMU and the community and Claiborne County as a whole. It shows the kids that if they work hard and stay dedicated that they can achieve their dreams. It's a blessing to be a part of something like that and to represent LMU."

Assistant coach Tyler Slick  spoke on how much the camp means to LMU and the men's basketball team while highlighting the dedication of campers and parents alike. "This camp is a great opportunity to showcase both the dedication of the parents and youth of the area to basketball as well as showcase such a wonderful university. Its gives these kids an opportunity to experience some of the best facilities in the southeast and improve on their abilities at the same time; it's a win-win for everyone involved. We are truly blessed to be a part of this and our players absolutely love it. To see all the smiles and hear all the laughs makes it all worth it to us. It's been an incredible week full of learning and fun and you really can't ask for much more than that. We look forward to it every year and we're already looking forward to it next year. We see a lot of returners every year. To see the development and dedication is truly something special. Lincoln Memorial is a very special place and to be able to represent the university is a blessing."