Graham takes part in Tour of Spain

Thirty-one lucky players, ages 12 to 15 from across the U.S., represented the Nike Basketball Camp Team in its first-ever Tour of Spain over the summer.

Mountain Brook Junior High seventh-grader Thomas Graham was one of those players.

Under the guidance of coaches Esian Henderson and Joe Schaumburg, each player was hand-selected to compete on the invite-only team and was accompanied by at least one family member. That made the tour a memorable experience for the kids and their parents.

The three 14U teams and one 12U team competed in Madrid against the local club of Las Rozas before heading south to Valencia, where they enjoyed games against Valencia Basket, CB Picken Claret, CB L'Horta Godella, CB Jovens L'Eliana and the Club Bàsquet Marcelina Benifaió in the best basketball facility in Europe – L'Alqueria del Basket.

“This wasn’t a trip about winning or losing. Our first game we didn’t even keep score,” Schaumburg said. “This was about helping the kids learn life lessons and skills that can make all the difference down the road. It was about reinforcing the values their parents have taught them and giving them that experience of another culture.”

Besides playing basketball, players and parents had the opportunity to go sightseeing, which allowed them to experience the historically rich and architecturally beautiful country of Spain firsthand. Between morning practices and evening games, the tour included city bus tours, local cuisine, a day at the beach and much more.

On the last night of camp, Thomas received special recognition from his coaches for his aggressive defensive play and rebounding.

Submitted by Christina Graham.