ROANOKE, Va. (WSET) — ABC13’s Kelsey Childress and Will Stafford are counting down to the Virginia Commonwealth Games in their favorite way with their Commonwealth Games sports previews.
Will was sick on Wednesday, so ABC13’S Dave Walls was ready to step up and sub in for the Basketball Skills Challenge. It’s a sport of endurance, speed and a lot of skill.
“You talk about practice makes perfect. If kids want to compete for the three-point contest, they have to work at it, so I think that can translate to their teams down the road,” said Ramon Williams.
Williams is one of the directors of the Basketball Skills Challenge in the Commonwealth Games.
He and his twin brother, Damon, started this event about five years ago. The kids work on two skills: free throws and three-pointers.
“They get the bragging rights to say ‘I’m the best in three-point shooting for the whole camp,’ whether a seven-year-old going against a 14-year-old or in between,” he explained.
Ramon was a sharp shooter in college, so he knows what it takes.
You’re on display, so now there’s pressure of making free throws or three-point to win. It can give a kid confidence. They really have a chip on their shoulder and say: ‘Hey, I can do it,'” Ramon said.
However, it’s about more than just basketball.
“It’s life skills, you know, it translates from the basketball court and can translate into their regular life,” he said.
So Dave and Kelsey tested their skills on the court. To their coach’s surprise, Kelsey was a newcomer.
“I have never hooped, I don’t even know if I know how to dribble,” Kelsey said, laughing.
They started with a crossover drill. Then, moved onto other drills, like the spin move and the layup. Kelsey struggled to say the least.
“Kelsey, we’re gonna sign you up for camp,” said Coach Ramon.
“Yeah, I need it,” she said. “I literally dont think I’ve picked up a basketball since elementary school gym, which after watching that, people can fully believe.”
Finally, it was onto the free throw contest. Dave made it look easy and got one out of three.
By some miracle, Kelsey also made one, so they ended in a tie.
Kelsey had a simple message after their third event.
“That was fun, but never again,” she said.
You can find a list of all the sports on the Virginia Commonwealth Games website.
ABC13 will be streaming the opening ceremony live on Friday, July 18 on our YouTube page, Facebook, and our website starting at 5:30 p.m.