Former Chicago Bulls Player Hosts Basketball Camp

Grand Terrace got a visit from a professional athlete over the weekend when former Chicago Bulls basketball player Corey Benjamin hosted an NBA-style basketball camp at Grand Terrace High School (GTHS) on Dec. 22. A graduate of Fontana High School, Benjamin has spent the past few years traveling the Inland Empire area and hosting NBA-style basketball camps for youth players ages 5 to 16, with the goal of sharpening fundamentals and other game skills through Sunday afternoon. Sunday's camp garnered dozens of children hailing throughout the Inland Empire, determined to show Benjamin their skills and excited to learn more. Benjamin's drills included running; a "bear claw," where campers crawled across the gym on their hands and feet without their knees touching the floor; practicing lay-ups and practicing jump shots. Benjamin was actively encouraging the players and often he would applaud them with a "Great job!" Benjamin shared, ”This week is Christmas week and it is about giving. I'm giving my basketball knowledge back to the kids. I spend a lot of time with the kids of the Inland Empire and I like to consider myself a big brother and role model because of what I have been able to accomplish. I know that a lot of the kids I see want to be successful, so I try to be that guy that they can all look up to. It feels great to know that I have played a role in the lives of the kids I have taught or talked to. I have been doing this for the past five years and there are kids I meet that know how to play the game of basketball and some who don't quite know how to play, but just to see the smiles on their faces or their frustrations from trying their best, I know I have helped them somehow improve. I try to also let the campers know that it is not always about basketball, it is about self-confidence and that is what I try to help the kids with.”