Juanita Ward | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS

Juanita Ward

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Professional basketball player Juanita Ward will hold two basketball camps in Bolton this weekend.

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.

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