ROCHESTER, Mich. – Greg Kelser is saying the same things he's always said at his camps, though he admits he might not be doing everything he used to do.
"I've got younger people here that can do all the stuff I used to be able to do," Kelser said. "They're doing the running and dunking."
Kelser is in his 41st year hosting the Gregory Kelser Basketball Camps. Every year, he hosts four camps with 500 kids each. That adds up to thousands of lives he has touched.
"We've had so many come through," Kelser said. "We not only have the children, but we have the grandchildren of those who participated in some of my very first camps. That's how long it's been going on. It's been great."
Dorian Bobo said he first came as a camper at age nine. Now at 27 years old, he's back as a coach.
"I just remember how I was as a camper and what I was looking for as a camper," Bobo said. "I always needed guidance and help, and I wanted to give back to the community and help with the kids myself."
A motto at the camp: Become a student-athlete, not the other way around. The classroom portion is almost as important. Third-year participant Cyan Williams likes both.
"My favorites are the stations and the classroom the best," Williams said. "In the classroom, you meet new people from different work areas. It's basically to show you all the things you can do outside of basketball. The stations help you with dribbling and shooting."
Not everyone in the gym will become an NBA player, but Kelser hopes they learn the fundamentals of the game and the importance of an education. To him, that's a slam dunk.