South Bend native Javon Small hosts basketball camp

SOUTH BEND, Ind. --It was a full circle moment for the South Bend native Javon Small. A gym that he once spent a lot of time his freshman year perfecting his craft to becoming one of the most standout guards in college basketball.

On Saturday afternoon, Small hosted a free basketball camp for kids as campers attended to learn more about the game of basketball from one of Riley's best talents. The camp featured various trainers that shared their knowledge and expertise as well.

“Having kids looking up to me and seeing me as role model, it’s great to see them continuously grow. I have known some of the kids for some years now and now to see them in high school now and then getting a lot older, it just makes me feel really good,” Small said.

Small’s mother, Jovanna Wright, played a huge part in the planning process. She said for it being the first camp, it was a big success.

“I think the camp turned out amazing, especially for being our first camp ever. My first time putting together a camp. I think the kids enjoyed it. I was happy to see my family come out and support. The trainers were phenomenal. I would say it was a success,” Wright said.

Small credits his success to his mother, for shaping him into the person he is today.

“My mom has always been a big part of my life. She wants the best for me at the end of the day. Her being a single mother raising the four of us, she’s always been there, always been the big dog. That's Queen B right there,” Small said.

The mother of four says seeing her son in his element, giving back to the community, meant everything to her.

“My son has really impacted my life. He made me change my life for the better. When he started sleeping with that basketball, I knew he had a dream, and I knew that we were going to be here. Every single day, I pray for him, I pray for us to get here right now today. I have a phenomenal support system from his trainers to my family. I knew that we were going to be here, so I needed to change my mind set to get us here today,” Wright said.