Bobby Madison to host seventh annual camp

Published 10:11 am Friday, June 17, 2016

Bobby Madison, shown here at his camp in 2013, will host his seventh annual basketball camp running from June 27-20 at Columbiana Middle School. (File)

Bobby Madison, shown here at his camp in 2013, will host his seventh annual basketball camp running from June 27-30 at Columbiana Middle School. (File)

By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

COLUMBIANA – Former Shelby County High School standout Bobby Madison is bringing his All-Star Basketball Camp back to Columbiana for the seventh year. Madison will be hosting his fundamental-heavy camp at Columbiana Middle School, not Shelby County High School, from June 27-30. The camp, as it has been in the past, will be four days full of basketball, games, prizes and fun.

Madison is the middle brother of unquestionably the most successful basketball family to ever come out of Columbiana. Madison’s older brother, Kei, had a short NBA stint with the Seattle Supersonics before playing basketball in Europe for several years. His younger brother Tyler currently plays for the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Tyler is the all-time leading scorer and rebounder at Shelby County High School. Madison himself spent seven years playing professional basketball in Europe and South America from 2004-2011, and now puts on the camp every summer to connect with the youth of Columbiana and the surrounding areas.

“The main thing for me is reaching back and connecting with our youth in the community,” Madison said. “I was fortunate to travel the world thanks to basketball and learn about life. To be able to come back and share some of that with the kids and teach them for a week is important to me.  As long as I’m able to do the camp I will.”

The camp has traditionally been held in Charles Dickinson gym at Shelby County High School, but due to summer renovations in the gym, the camp is moving locations to Columbiana Middle School. Over the past several years the camp has seen in excess of 150 attendees, and this year Madison still expects well over 100 kids in attendance, despite the move in location.

Madison will also bring in local coaches as well as coaches who have either played at the collegiate level or are currently doing so, to give the kids in attendance some top basketball insight.

“It will be the same kind of feel as in years past,” Madison said. “I want to bring in community people as well as people who have gone out and had basketball experience. Tyler will be there with a few teammates throughout the week as well.”

Registration information can be found online at bobbymadisonbasketball.com, and a final sign-up day will be June 18 from 10-1 p.m. in the lobby of the Shelby County High School gym. Kids ages 6-11 will go to camp from 8 a.m.-noon, and kids ages 12-17 will attend from 1-5 p.m.

The cost is $70 per camper for the week, and $55 for each additional sibling.