Hoops for fun… and for hope
Former Highland player shares skills at camps, collects sports shoes for kids in the Philippines
Comox Valley Echo
Published: Friday, August 01, 2008
Scott MacKinnon, former Highland Raider basketball star left the Comox Valley when he graduated to attend the University of Lethbridge. But he comes home every summer to be with his family - which includes his three brothers - and run Scottymac basketball camps for kids. Scott's camps started from his passion for the game, for teaching, and for "giving back to the Comox Valley the good times and environment he and his brothers enjoyed, growing up in this community."
Scottymac basketball camps were held this week at Aspen Park Middle School for 9-10 year old roundballers, and at Highland Senior Secondary for ages 11-15. The youngsters camp was at Aspen from 9 am to 3 pm, with operations moving to Highland from 4 to 9 pm. All of Scott's roundball campers were issued a sharp looking jersey, all with the number 45 on the back.
"The significance of the number 45 has two roots," Scott said. "The first number, four, is in honor of my grandfather, Nev Munro, who was a basketball player for the 1948 Canadian Olympic team. "The second numeral, five, is in memory of Nate DaSilva."DaSilva was a former Vanier basketball player who died in a single vehicle auto accident when he fell asleep behind the wheel on the way to play a game. Besides the 12 hours of basketball camp a day, Scott is also busy with another passion, Hoops for Hope, one related to his work as a Physical Education teacher in the Philippines, at the Brent International School.
Having completed his first year teaching at Brent, following his graduation in Kinesiolgy from Lethbridge in 2007, Scott noticed a lot of filipino’s lacked proper footwear, so he started collecting basketball shoes from friends and acquaintances, new, used, whatever."They were coming out on the basketball court just wearing flip-flops or whatever they had," said MacKinnon. "Enthusiastic for the game, the coaching, and to improve, but totally ill equipped. There's a real need there, and a real surplus here. Almost everyone I know has at least one surplus pair of used shoes, and people have been bringing in pairs of good, usable shoes all week. Now, all I've got to do is get them to the Philippines."For helping out, or more information about Scott, his camps, and Hoops for Hope, look up the Scottymac website at; http://scottymacbball.blogspot.com
