Over the summer, around 100 teenage Chinese athletes played basketball Seasider-style. In cooperation with the China University Basketball Association (CUBA), BYU-Hawaii conducted the first-ever American basketball academy for high school players in China.
"The kids are so impressed by American culture's way of behaviors, their morals, their way towards life. [BYU-Hawaii coaches] are teaching a lot, not only basketball," said Mr. Nansheng Chen, the secretary general of the CUBA, through an interpreter.
Campers had the choice to attend two different sessions, held at Zhejiang University (Zijingang campus) in Hangzhou, and Karamay High School. Each nine-day camp was divided into two sections. During the first three days, players were instructed by local coaches on basketball fundamentals and basic English basketball terms. During the rest of the session, athletes were instructed by American and Chinese coaches. Each player spent around 15 hours each day listening and learning. The athletes got chances to showcase their newly-found skills during scrimmages and other games.
"With the academy we wanted a situation where we could share information about basketball with their coaches, and they wanted the same thing," said Ken Wagner, head coach of BYU-Hawaii's men's basketball team. Wagner came up with the idea for the academy after various trips to China to assist coaches there. Wagner also became very familiar with the CUBA system as his team played three exhibition games in China in 2004. Chinese teams have also been featured at the annual Asia-Pacific Basketball Tournament.
Wagner turned to BYU-Hawaii's Center for Instructional Technology and Outreach (CITO) program to help organize the academy. The dean of CITO, Robert Hayden, had also traveled to China in 2005 and noticed the need to fill a gap in basketball instruction. CUBA officials were excited for any instruction because of past relations with BYU-Hawaii, Hayden said. One of Hayden's staff members Jingjun "J.J" Huang, helped tremendously in bridging any possible language barriers.
Huang's knowledge of Chinese culture and fluent Mandarin Chinese greatly assisted in the organization of the academy, Hayden explained. Huang's presence certainly assisted Seasider coaches in their initiative. "It's always fun to go [to China] and see their culture, but at the same time, it's tough… the first time you don't speak the language, your interpreter is giving everything. You really don't know if they're telling them exactly what you're saying," Wagner recalled.
CUBA's initial contact with the BYU-Hawaii's campus came in 2005. After some research, CUBA officials made a trip to Laie to observe the school. The organization had worked with various university basketball programs from the United States, but none of them compared with the structure of BYU-Hawaii, Chen said. "During our visit, we learned a lot. We learned the mission, the direction of [BYU-Hawaii] is quite different from the other universities we talked with before," he said.
With positive context in place, the stage was now set for a basketball academy headed by the Seasiders. Wagner was joined by assistant coach Brandyn Akana, and the men's head basketball coaches from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania and Mount Hood Community College. Camp brochures called the camp "China's premier basketball experience," and this label apparently didn't disappoint. In an effort to keep readers involved in the academy, one newspaper in Karamay printed camp diary entries written by participants One camper wrote, "I have progressed in many ways. The teamwork was reflected in both basketball training and the competition. Coach Akana's teaching in defense skills has left me a great impression. When he shout[ed] out 'defense,' all of us followed his words by squatting down and shouting, 'boing!' It was a shocking moment. The camp has brought me happiness, interests, unity, skills, and teamwork."
When the academy came to a close, BYU-Hawaii basketball's presence in China didn't hit any kind of great wall. In August, Wagner and women's basketball head coach Wendy Anae headed to CUBA's annual camp, held at China's Olympic training center. While there, Wagner and Anae gave lectures, workshops, and instruction to over 50 university basketball teams and coaches.
However, one of the main advantages BYU-Hawaii officials focus on is the fact that the academy will likely greatly reduce the gap of instruction for Chinese athletes between high school and college basketball. "Next year I think it's going to grow. It'll spread like wildfire, and it will draw out the talent," Hayden said.
Eventually, Wagner and Akana had to return to Oahu to coach their own team. In the meantime, though, CUBA officials look forward to their return to China. "The reason we want to keep doing it is because when the American coaches are in China, they're not only teaching the sports—basketball—they also [bring] the interest to the young kids in China their attitude towards life," Chen said.
In the process, dozens of Chinese high school athletes sharpened their skills through a strong sense of Seasider style.
Campers, coaches, and participants pose for a group photo at the Hangzhou camp.
Coach Brandyn Akana conducts a ball handling drill.
Below: Members of CITO meet with officials associated with CUBA. From left to right: J.J. Huang, director of development in Asia, CITO; Mr. Gong Peishan, CUBA advisor; Dr. Robert Hayden, dean, CITO; Mr. Nansheng Chen, secretary general, CUBA; Ms. Liang Xin, former marketing manager, CUBA. All photos courtesy of CITO and J.J. Huang.