Jumpball Basketball Clinic

Jumpball's Mission: To provide the children of Jamaica the opportunity to learn self esteem, teamwork, dedication, sportsmanship, camaraderie, and the fundamentals of basketball.

In 1995, several volunteers from the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Jamaica recognized the need and opportunity for youth development through sport within the inner-city of Kingston, Jamaica. Basketball is a booming sport in Jamaica and one in which players of any socio-economic level can compete. Therefore, it is a perfect tool with which to teach some very important lessons.

Jumpball gives children a chance to channel their incredible enthusiasm and energy towards a constructive activity and away from the violence, drugs, and other dangers common in too many of their neighborhoods.

Aside from the basketball instruction, each player receives lunch each day and is awarded a Jumpball T-shirt. In addition dozens of prizes are awarded to players based on their playing ability, sportsmanship, and attitude.

The Jumpball Basketball Clinic is the heart and soul of Jumpball. This 4-day event has been the focal point of the program since its beginnings in 1995. The clinic is geared towards teaching the fundamentals of basketball to young boys and girls throughout the cities in Jamaica and Haiti. US collegiate coaches run the clinic with the assistance of several Jamaican coaches and the Notre Dame Bookstore Basketball volunteers. In all there are roughly 200 participants. Best of all, the majority of participants are admitted free of charge so that they can participate regardless of their financial background.

A significant portion of team registration fees for Bookstore Basketball will go to the Jumpball program, which has offered free basketball clinics to hundreds of Jamaican children for the past decade. The charity, sponsored by the Notre Dame Club of Jamaica, strives to keep disadvantaged youth away from the drugs and violence in their neighborhoods. Notre Dame challenges and inspires its students and extended Notre Dame family to work for positive social change; in this regard, the Jumpball program is a perfect fit for Bookstore Basketball.