Over the 2009 season, Lynx star guard Candice Wiggins made it her mission to impact the lives of youth aspiring to star on and off the court. On August 6, Wiggins, the 2009 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, stopped at Coach Q’s Protect The E.D.G.E. Basketball Camp to educate kids on the importance of excelling, dreaming big, setting goals and getting an education.
Through his clinic, Coach Q, a former basketball star at Grambling State, and a youth sports leadership development entrepreneur with extremely unique experiences, aims to teach youth the fundamentals of basketball through the prism of powerful life lessons: the hard work required to Excel, the Dream you keep your eye fixated upon, the Goals that make the Dream real, and the Education to open all doors. Through recognizing these simple steps, youth learned how Candace Wiggins, Coach Q, and their all-star sports and corporate partners, became stars on the court and in life. Truly, the two go hand in hand.
Coach Q started his camp four years ago and, shortly after moving from Virginia, expanded the successful program to Minnesota. Coach Q and Wiggins together taught over 50 camp participants the value of not only basketball skills, but life skills as well. "For me, life isn't all basketball," said Wiggins. "My mom instilled in me the importance of an education at an early age, and it's essential these kids have that voice of reason. I hope the kids will take something from Coach Q and I and apply that to their everyday lives."
Wiggins came away very impressed with the students' skills on and off the court. "I was impressed with the shooting skills the youth had; I was scared I was going to lose the 3-point contest," Wiggins clamored. "Credit should go out to Coach Q and the Protect The E.D.G.E. Basketball Camp for the work they are doing to improve these kids game on and off the court."
Coach Q was a high school teammate of NBA star Tracy McGrady at Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C. and went on to play three years at Grambling State. The historic accomplishments of his high school team strongly helped to form his broad vision and mission. Coach Q’s vision is passionate, energetic, successful, and expanding. “We started in Virginia, are well planted in the great State of Minnesota, and constantly marching towards national recognition of our program concept, and thankfully, success. We want to give the kids what they really need, which is that ‘Audacity of Hope’ that our President speaks of so well.”
This is the second straight year the Lynx have teamed up with Coach Q. Wiggins hopes to continue to be a part of Coach Q 's mission. "I'd love to come back," said Wiggins. "This clinic is a great thing; it's not all about basketball. The youth of today need more leaders like Coach Q. He's building a great thing."
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