A free basketball camp in July will give area youth a chance to learn from players from the University of Alabama.

For the third year in a row, Sarrell Dental Center will host a basketball camp in Selma and eight members of the Crimson Tide basketball team will be in town to teach the fundamentals of the sport and explain the importance of hard work and good grades. This year’s camp is on July 19 and is for boys and girls ages 6-17.

“One of the main reasons we are picking Selma to go back to is because of the overall positive reaction we get from the community,” said Summer Quinn, Sarrell’s director of marketing and community outreach.

Over 300 kids participated in last year’s camp at Selma High School, which is about double what Sarrell sees at its other camps around the state each summer.  Sarrell is also holding camps in Alexander City and Anniston in July.

“We had a great turnout last year, and we are expecting just as big of a turnout, if not bigger , this year,” Quinn said.

Last year’s turnout was so large that Sarrell Dental and Selma High School officials determined it would be better to split the camp into two different sessions this year.

For campers ages 6-11, the camp will start at 8:30 a.m. and run until 12 p.m. The camp for ages 12-17 will start at 12 p.m. and run until 4:30 p.m.

“We are going to gear it more towards specific ages [this year],” Quinn said. “We are going to do the elementary school kids in the morning portion, and in the afternoon portion we are going to do the middle school and high school kids.”

Selma High School head basketball coach Woodie Jackson said the camp is always one of the highlights of the summer.

“[The kids] definitely enjoy partaking in the camp and doing the different drills,” Jackson said.

Alabama basketball players Michael Kessins, Jimmie Taylor, John Gibson, Retin Obasohan, Justin Coleman, Devon Mitchell, Christophe Varidel and Jeff Garrett are scheduled to be counselors at the camp.

Former Alabama basketball player Andrew Steele, who now serves as Sarrell’s Community Outreach Manager, will also serve as a camp counselor.

Each camper will need to wear workout shorts, socks, a t-shirt and tennis shoes. All participants will receive a free t-shirt and photo.

For more information about the camp, contact Sarrell Dental Center at 410-1603.