The organization provides resources to help youths around the country get better at basketball and realize their potential, said Scott Bamforth, founder of REAL Hoops.
“We are a family that reaches out to all basketball players and gives them an opportunity to learn the game of basketball through us,” he said.
So far, REAL Hoops has held four camps and one tournament. Last summer Bamforth and his co-founder Matt Higgins traveled to Sevilla, Spain, and held a free camp for impoverished children.
“Originally, what we started out with was just basketball camps,” said Higgins. “We set up individual skill training; we’ve already started a four week program where we’re going out to Espanola every weekend to help train them.”
Bamforth and Higgins graduated from Del Norte High school in 2007. Bamforth and attended college at Western Nebraska Community College where he played basketball for one season. He then transferred to Weber State where he played his remaining three seasons. Higgins is currently working on a second bachelor’s degree in psychology at UNM.
The two said their mission is to show kids how much potential they have as individuals and exploit their talents. The staff splits the groups of kids based on age so that the kids get more contact with coaches.
“It is inside of them to achieve greatness, whether it’s in basketball or any other thing they choose,” Higgins said. “We just want to show them how to achieve that greatness.”
Every one of the coaches on staff has played or coached at a collegiate level or higher. Bamforth said he plays for Universidad Catolica De Murcia in Spain.
This past summer, REAL Hoops held a basketball tournament for adults at La Cueva High School, and the group was very pleased with the outcome, Higgins said.
“That was amazing. That was one of the better tournaments that I have been a part of,” he said. “We had a great turnout ... they were great, everybody was respectful, we had great officials, great games, everything just went so smooth.”
Bamforth has had to utilize many connections in order to get out of state camps organized and scheduled. Higgins is currently working on getting camps set up in Tucson, Arizona, Las Cruces and Phoenix.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
REAL Hoops is looking for any support it can get, and more information is available at realhoops4u.com.
Kyle Tomasi is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @KyTo22.
