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By TYLER RALEY | Special to the Reporter

COLUMBIANA – One of most popular summer sports camps is returning to the area this year as the Bobby Madison Basketball Camp will be held June 24-27 from 8 a.m. to noon each day.

Columbiana Middle School will play as the host for this year’s festivities after it was held there for the first time last year.

This summer will be the 14th time that the camp has taken place, becoming one of the most popular youth sports camps in the Birmingham area since its inception.

Boys and girls from ages 6-12 can sign up for the camp, making it a top event for parents to send their kids to each summer.

What Madison enjoys most about this camp is helping the kids want to become better and improve their skills on the court. He is constantly trying to ensure that he goes into every camp with that in mind.

“The one thing that I always want to remain true when it comes to this camp is that I give the same energy and I keep the same intentions,” Madison said. “I want to make sure that I am giving back in a way that impacts the kids and potentially impacts them in a positive way to achieve or accomplishing the goals that they have.”

Last year’s camp saw a large attendance once again, with over 100 campers learning valuable skills from Madison and his set of coaches. Like Madison, many of the coaches have experience coaching at the high school level or have played at higher levels.

Throughout the camp, he and his coaches not only teach the campers numerous basketball skills, but also how to apply those skills in their lives and how to be a team player.

He also always tries to bring in speakers to teach lessons that can help them in the future after they leave the camp, with the hope that the players can use them years down the road.

“We try to bring in speakers throughout the week,” Madison said. “I bring in former basketball players. I usually have my pastor, which is a former college basketball player, come in and speak to the kids to talk to them about life lessons, making the right decisions, doing all the things that go into being a successful adult.”

Madison understands that the festivities of this camp make a huge impact and that the skills he teaches to the kids go beyond the sport of basketball.

“We try to teach things that give them things that they can use when nobody is watching,” Madison said. “I think if they apply the things that we teach them throughout the week, they can have huge success in basketball. But not only that, I think there are lessons that I’ve learned from basketball and from sports in general that I apply everyday in my work life.

“I think if the kids apply the things, it can have a huge impact on them not only with basketball but also in life.”

Madison is a notable alumnus of Shelby County High School. After playing for the Wildcats in high school, he went to Southern Union State Community College where he was a Junior College All-American.

From there, he joined Western Michigan University where he got to play in the 2003 NIT and 2004 NCAA Tournament. He helped lead the Broncos to a 2004 MAC championship, as well.

Following his time at WMU, Madison played internationally throughout South America for his professional career that spanned three years.

The cost to register before June 12 is $75 and $60 for each additional sibling that decides to attend. After that date, the cost is pushed up to $90.

Parents can sign their kids up for the camp through the digital registration form.