The Ledger

By Becky Holland

For Middle Georgia State University Women’s Basketball Coach Steven Rhodes, last week’s youth basketball camp was about far more than teaching children how to dribble, pass and shoot.

It was about service, leadership and creating connections between his players and the community they represent.

“We wanted to find a way to connect our girls and the community together,” Rhodes said.

The camp, held on the MGA campus, welcomed children ages 5-14, with most participants falling between ages 5 and 10. Approximately a baker’s dozen campers attended the program, which focused on fundamental basketball skills including ball handling, footwork, shooting and passing.

Rhodes said members of the MGA women’s basketball team volunteered their time to help lead the camp, giving campers an opportunity to learn directly from collegiate athletes while allowing players to serve as mentors and teachers.

The camp also marked a significant milestone for the university.

According to Rhodes, it was the first youth basketball camp held on campus in many years, dating back to the era of legendary coach Ben Rogers, who retired in 1998.

One of the camp’s most memorable moments came when Brooks, the great-grandson of Coach Rogers, attended as a camper. Rogers’ son, Benjy, brought his grandson to participate.

During the week, the family had an opportunity to see the plaque honoring the late coach.

“It was a cool moment,” Rhodes said.

A North Carolina native, Rhodes grew up in a state where basketball is woven into the culture. Home to storied programs such as North Carolina, Duke, North Carolina State and Wake Forest, the Tar Heel State helped shape his lifelong love of the game and ultimately led him into coaching.

But along the way, Rhodes learned that basketball’s greatest lessons often happen away from the scoreboard.

He recalled coaching a 9- and 10-year-old recreation league team as a young coach. One player in particular left a lasting impression.

“There was this one kid who was supposed to be a star athlete, Ishmael Newkirk,” Rhodes said. “I really wanted him, and I had the seventh draft pick. He was still out there, so I chose him.”

Other coaches were thankful and relieved by the selection and told Rhodes the youngster could be difficult to coach.

Rather than giving up on him, Rhodes invested time in the player and worked to build a relationship.

One evening, the boy’s mother called.

“She said, ‘He’s acting up. Will you talk to him? You’re the only one he’ll listen to,’” Rhodes recalled.

The experience helped reinforce a lesson that would influence his coaching philosophy for years to come — that impacting lives matters more than simply winning games.

Today, that philosophy remains central to the culture he is building at MGA.

Rhodes said he emphasizes selflessness, service and giving back to others. The youth camp provided a practical opportunity for his players to put those values into action.

“Last week our girls went through a week of sacrifices to help at camp, and they didn’t mind,” Rhodes said.

He wants his players to do more than memorize the program’s values.

“I don’t want them to just know the core values,” he said. “I want them to live it.”

Rhodes was quick to credit assistant coach Madison Lowery for helping make the camp possible.

He described Lowery as the “engine” behind the operation and said she was instrumental in organizing and running the event.

As the week came to a close, Rhodes received feedback that assured him the effort had made an impact.

A grandfather told him his grandson was disappointed the following day because camp was over.

The child wished there was another day of basketball camp.

For the first youth camp on campus in a long time, Rhodes said, that was a pretty good review.

Asked what advice he would give his younger self, Rhodes offered an answer that reflects both his coaching philosophy and his outlook on life.

“Continue to mess it up,” he said.

Rhodes explained that many of life’s greatest lessons come through mistakes and perseverance.

“If you mess up,” he said, “it’s not the end of the world.”

For Rhodes, those lessons are just as important as anything taught on the basketball court.

Photos by MGA Women’s Basketball.