It cost $2,250 to attend a basketball camp at BYU-Hawaii hosted by Steph Curry this past weekend. For Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett, that was $2,250 too much.
Bennett criticized Curry and other athletes for charging kids to attend camps in Hawaii, the place Bennett lives in the offseason.
Bennett has made a home in the Aloha State along with his wife, who is from the North Shore of the Hawaiian island Oahu. He is also hosting a football camp of his own this weekend, which is free to attend.
“I see a lot of different athletes come through Hawaii whether it’s Steph Curry or whoever it is,” Bennett quipped. “They all come here and it makes me mad, because I live in this community and I understand this community — that there’s so many kids who can’t afford to pay such a high amount of money. In my mind it’s like, how much money do you need before you start giving back for free? And I think a lot of athletes should start focusing on that.”
“If you do have a camp and you charge money for it, you need to make sure that money that you take from this community, you give back to the kids that are paying for the camp. These are the kids that live here. When you leave Hawaii and you go back to wherever you’re at, or you come here and you go back from this vacation you leave with a piece of paradise, but these people still live here every day.”
For Benett, it’s also personal, considering his childhood and what his family could afford:
“That comes from my mom and dad growing up in the community and always giving back,” said the Houston native. “My dad was a part of the school board, my mom worked in the district for 20 years, and I just always wanted to give back and always make it free. Growing up, I know I wasn’t able to afford the things like go to to certain camps or do certain things.”
While Bennett might have a point, it’s hard to see free camps from athletes becoming a trend across the board. However, more and more athletes are giving back to their communities with free camps. Dallas Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr hosted a free football camp in his hometown of Flint, Michigan in June.
Bennett’s camp will feature instruction from himself, Chargers linebacker Manti Te’o, Falcons linebacker O’Brien Schofield, and others. There’s still room for on-site registration for any kids who still want to attend.
