Former Michigan athlete gives back to youth through basketball camp
(CBS DETROIT) - For many kids living in difficult situations, sports are a pathway toward finding and achieving your potential.
That's what former Michigan basketball star Antoine "The Judge" Joubert is teaching campers at his basketball camp Thursday at the Kemeny Recreation Center on Detroit's south side.
"I enjoy giving back, you know? It brings back a lot of memories – me coming here. This is where I started," Joubert told CBS Detroit.
Joubert held his camp there because he knows people from all walks of life come down there for pick-up games. Everyone, from former pro basketball players, like 10-year NBA veteran Carlos Rogers, to state politicians like Rep. Tyrone Carter.
For both those men, basketball served as a launching point, molding them into the men they are today and all they've achieved.
"You figure it out pretty early on, whether it's through injury, and some guys, through academics, or maybe just your size, that you got to look for other options," Carter said. "But sports are a vehicle to get you where you want to go."
One message the two men had for the kids; the success you want in life is not dependent on anyone but yourself. And self-motivation is one of the biggest intangibles you need to get to where you want to be.
"A lot of kids don't understand that the responsibility of being better is not always on the coach," Rogers said. "It's on yourself and where you want to go."