B33B17D2 Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame team up for Camp Soldiers kids clinic

To say that soon-to-be Notre Dame freshman Skylar Diggins has a full plate ahead of her is an understatement.

The South Bend Washington graduate is in her final weeks before college, and on Thursday she's departing for Colorado Springs for some special training.

She's kind of on the Under 19 USA World Championship team and will look to help America win Gold in Thailand in a few weeks. Oh, and she has the ESPY awards in between as well.

But before she gets there, she wrapped up a major kids clinic at her dad's Martin Luther King Center on Wednesday.

Skylar is a counselor for the "Camp Soldiers," a basketball camp for area kids in grades 2nd through 8th.

And she's a very active counselor.

"You have to get after them," Skylar says while taking a quick break. "You have to challenge the kids and they'll rise to the occasion."

"They want to compete and they are upset when they make a mistake."

Like her step-dad Maurice Scott preaches, the goal is to "get better."

"They want to get better," Skylar says. "It's good working with kids that want to compete."

And Skylar is making sure her "camp soldiers" receive some great mentoring. She even invited some of her future teammates from Notre Dame to help out.

About eight Irish players were in attendance, including starters Lindsay Schrader, Melissa Lechlitner and Becca Bruszewski. It's part of Notre Dame's "Spirit of Giving" outreach program.

"That just shows you how much of a sisterhood we're becoming already in this little amount of time," Skylar says of her gratitude for the Irish players helping out.

"It was just amazing for them to come out. The kids love them and are excited."

So were the Irish players.

"Wow, that's good," reacts senior guard Melissa Lechlitner as she watches some of the players work their magic. "Seriously, that's really good."

For Lechlitner, it's especially gratifying because she's a South Bend girl herself.

"It's great to see them progress," the St. Joe grad explains. "South Bend has produced a lot of good athletes, and basketball players specifically, over the last couple of years."

"It's fun to watch everyone as they get better and grow up a little bit."

And none in South Bend have grown up to better than the likes of Lechlitner and Diggins.

The two are following a similar path. Two years ago, Lech was on the US U19 World Championship team that won gold.

Now it's Skylar's turn.

"We're USA," Diggins explains, sporting a Team USA shirt. "We represent the United States of America and that's good enough for me, but bringing back that gold medal -- that's something I'd cherish forever."

The World Championships begin July 23rd in Thailand.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• girlsbasketball

[quanp1]

She is athletic and fine.

[camgriff4]

sexy

[ballerbubba10]

Skylar could teach me any day

[northcutt13]

Darnn I wish i went to this camp !! that girl at 1:11 can handle the ball good she'd be a good pg

[WilliamRyder10]

She talk gangsta but damn she is 1 fine ass black girl. beyonce ain't shit on her.

[MsLaurendanae]

@LootieMcNootie thank u he always tryna reck sumbody life i hope she dnt go wit him

[imapraya]

Skylar, check out "jerica nelson #14", an 8th grader from colony, alaska

[jgutter34]

@LootieMcNootie LMAO!!!!!! You're right tho smh

[ramrod20042000]

Skylar, Notre Dame is a very prestigious institution. A bachelor's degree cost over 200 thousand there. There is life after basketball. Get that degree! Don't turn pro early.

[KINGDAVID230]

@NoLaTvShow lmao!!!!!!

[tiana1017]

@yamicii21 imagine of most of the bb girls look like this? wnba would be making lots of money,