Ellington

Former Callaway High School and Tulsa Shock women's basketball champ Juanita Ward, 23, is bringing the round ball to kids in Bolton this month with a two-part basketball camp.

Ward hit it big early in life as a candidate for Naismith National Player of the Year in 2005. She was a McDonald's All-American, a two-time Parade All-American, and was nominated for the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame as a Callaway senior. She later played for the Lady Wranglers at Odessa College in Texas. Ward, who stands 6-foot tall, attended Syracuse University between 2007 and 2010 where she earned top NCAA honors in her junior and senior years as the team's forward.

In the 2010-2011 season Ward headed off to Bulgaria for Team Beroe 7, were she earned Eurobasket.com's All-Bulgarian League Defensive Player of the Year, played on the All-Bulgarian League Second Team and the Bulgarian League All-Imports Team for the 2011 season.

The professional basketball player is back in town briefly before heading to Oklahoma May 9 to play for the Tulsa Shock. But while she's here, she'll be hosting a free basketball development camp at the St. Thomas M.B. Church's Family Life Center in Bolton May 6 and May 7 for kids in 2nd through 12th grade.
Ward said she is hosting the camp for free as a show of gratitude to her community.

"I've always been the type of person who loves to give back. The community I live in has been so good to me for so many years. They've supported me. They've supported my parents. What better way to give back than to give a free basketball camp? A lot of people don't have a lot of money, especially in this economy," Ward said.

To register, call Ward at 601-317-5287, or be at the Family Life Center by 5 p.m. May 6 for the first session. Kids who can't come Friday are welcome to join the others for the Saturday session May 7 and should be at the Family Life Center by 8:30 a.m. that day.