August 4, 2025 • 45 mins
We’ve chatted with a lot of incredible athletes on The Spin Chicks podcast, but this episode hits differently. Meet Yannick Atanga: born in Cameroon, a basketball late-bloomer, and all-around inspiration.At 14, he picked up a basketball for the first time - and boom - his world changed. He moved to California for high school (without knowing a word of English!), played basketball and then earned a degree from Santa Clara University, all the while catching the mentor bug.Now, he's giving back big-time through Impact Basketball, a youth camp he started in Cameroon that's still going strong 7 years later.Tune in for a story that’s part hustle, part heart, and 100% Yannick—from late-night porch dreams to global impact. And if you have the bug to donate to his camp - please use this link: https://www.impactcharityafrica.com/get_involved
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Hey Michelle, Hello Erica, welcome back.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome to the spine Chicks podcast, and yes, welcome back.
We've been on a little hiatus, but you know what,
life happens, so have you been.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
I've been good, very good.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Obviously we've been catching up, just not with our podcast audience.
But you know, like you said, life happens. But the
important thing is we're back. You're feeling a little rusty.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
No, no, ready to ready to talk, Ready to talk
about things going on? Life going on, lots of stuff
going on.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
So all right, Well, I was feeling a little rusty,
but I think it came off pretty quickly, not like
when we started. But you know, we've been doing this
a while, so I think we're good. But I know
you lost your cord for your mic during the hiatus,
but I feel like we've.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Resolved that right. Yes, yes, it took a little Amazon
googling to figure out which cord it is exactly, but
we're back and so we're good. It's weird because I
keep it put someplace in an old candle holder, and
it's weird that I just could not find it. And
you know how days when you organize, I did a
(01:24):
bunch of organizing in my office this summer and probably overorganized.
So now I.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Cantally fail you. I did the same thing. I got
my label maker. You know, we moved, so now I'm
a permanent resident of Alabama. But I found my label
maker and so I was like labeling everything, and I think,
you know, I over organized because I went to look
for something and it was right in the bin that's
that said, like markers or whatever it was. But so
I just got to get used to the system.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Yeah, so we added an outdoor shower. Since we talked
last and I know you've probably got some questions. Are excited.
We have a pool. We live in Tampa, and my
husband used the outdoor shower for the first time today
and came inside with the biggest smile on his face
and was like, I'm so glad. We added that I
didn't understand what the big deal was, thought it was
(02:14):
kind of dumb, but he was really excited.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So, well, funny you should mention that because we also
have an outdoor shower and we've never used it and
it's been like four or five years that we've had it.
So we were downstairs and Dale's like, hey, let's just
let's just turn it on. I was like, all right, sweet,
we're gonna do it. Goes in, turns the water on,
turns it on, the water comes gushing out like you
know where you turn it, not the shower head. So
(02:38):
we feel like maybe it froze or something happened, So
got to replace the valve.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Another project when we call. When we work on those projects,
you have them yourself because you've recently moved with your husband.
Those are called marriage projects. Can we stay married during
this project?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
So sorry, I have to laugh because you're very correct.
But well now that now that we're back, like, what
are you thinking like for the podcast? Like, we're back,
so what are ore?
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Do we have goals?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
We need to set goals or are we just winging it?
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Probably winging it. We do pretty good with goals, but
winging it. We've got some good guests coming up. I
think people are going to be excited to listen this.
This first guest that we have coming on on this podcast.
Yana Katanga from Cameroon is a former basketball player of
mine from Santa Clara and he is just such a
(03:35):
unique individual that I think the listeners will be really
excited towards I don't want to give away the podcast,
but towards the end, I know he's going to talk
to us about life for him as a child in
Cameroon growing up. His mom died when he was young,
and he had to move around a bit with family
(03:56):
and stuff, and he always, you know, he wondered what
his life was going to be like.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
And you know, we're sitting here talking about outdoor showers,
and before we jumped on, we were talking about hair
products and stuff, and you know, here's somebody that's wondering
sitting there as an eight year old kid, sitting on
his porch looking up, you know, looking out on.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
The horizon and thinking what is my life going to be?
And I thought that was really really interesting. I've heard
him talk about that before.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
So well, when you mentioned him too as a potential guest,
I know we were talking. I always love to I know,
you've worked with so many student athletes, and while you've
had that experience while they were in college, it's just
wonderful to kind of hear how they got there and
then what they've been doing, what life has been like after.
So I think he's got an incredible story and really
(04:45):
excited to tell it with you. And share it with
our listeners.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yeah, he calls himself the mayor of the Bay Area.
So whenever I go back to California, if I'm in town,
he will see him on Facebook and be like, oh,
the mayor needs to see you. So he's got a
good personality, such a good smile, and has so many
good things to say about so many people.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Yes, and you won't be able to see his smile, however,
it will radiate through the mic. So let's talk to Janick.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
We've got a very special guest today, Yanick Atanga.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
All right, and tell us again how you guys know
each other.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
So I was Yanick's pr person at Santa Clara. It
was his sid. So we're gonna throw this back and
pretend that this podcast is being recorded at the Hut,
the old Hut, not the revised, revamped Hut.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
That was good to me, okay, perfect.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
So Yanick was a power forward. He is six seven,
Is that right.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
I haven't got to the point where I was shrinking yet.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Oh yeah, okay. And what's your wingspan?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Seven three seven three? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yeah, So I was always amazed by his wingspan.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
So well, Michelle told me that you came to Santa
Clara from Cameroon. So could you tell us just a
little bit about how you got to Santa Clara and
how you started playing basketball.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
Yeah, I came to Santa Clara from Ohai to start.
There was Ohi before Cameroon. But yeah, I started playing
basketball when I was fourteen, which is very late, complex
to most most athlete here in the US, because in
Cameroon or men's sport for a long time was soccer everybody.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
So yes, I was a goalie, and then I was
a forward.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
You're too tall to be in midfielder and everything, so
you got to be a goalie. So I was a goalie,
which explained why I Lady West was gone instance rebranding,
because I have that ability. So I was a goalie
playing soccer and then basketball. It happened just as a
fake nature. Somebody just kind of randomly pulled me out
(07:14):
on the suit and said you should You know, his
exact would were, you know, sometimes God gives us things
and we don't know what to do with them. And
if I were you, I would go for a basketball
And at the time I was very a little bit lost,
you know, two years removed from from my mom passing
(07:34):
and just moved to the new city where to live
with my dad and just trying to figure things out.
And that started with me for about two weeks and
then one day I'm like, okay, let me go try
this basketball.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
You would never try a basket before you were fourty no, And.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
I went to a basketball court.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
It was bad, ten miles away from where I live
and got then then there was a bunch of guys
playing say hey, I want to play the loud we
actually need one player. And I'm like, I never played
with for that class. Fine, And I tell you the
second step to foot in that basketball court, everything changed everything,
(08:14):
literally everything. It's like you stepped into a whole different
world where everything is all of a sudden, uh new, different, motivating,
inspiring you find like it's like I found that little
bubble and from there it became an every day thing.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
It didn't matter the distance. Every day I will go.
I will go. I will go every time.
Speaker 5 (08:39):
You know, if you don't sport, if you you you training,
you work hard, every day, you get better. It's not
there's a magic to that which you know. By going
there every day, despite the distance, despart the living condition,
I was able to stride very fast compared to some
of the guy that either were playing before me or
that started at the same time. Yeah, everything went fast,
(09:03):
very very fast. It took me by three years to
get a scholarship to come to the US and about
a year to get about a year in the US
to get twenty four scholarship offs.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
How long did you played from when you started that
first day on the court to when you came to Ohi?
Speaker 4 (09:21):
Three years?
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Oh so three years? Okay, so oh Hi is not
a bad place to live either. I mean to go
from Cameroon. How big was your town that you're from.
I have to admit that when I was your sid,
I don't think I ever pronounced your town's name. I
would just say he's from Cameroon and everyone would say okay,
and they would say where you pointed the name and be.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
Like, yeah, so my You know, I grew up in Yaundi,
which is the capital.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
At the capital of Cameroon, and then.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
When I started playing basketball, I was in a cornolling
another town which is called my village where that's pretty
family from your woun day. That's why I started playing basketball.
After a year of playing there and realizing that there
was not the full of basketball player, and that time
was not big enough for me to be able to
(10:13):
really get better. So I moved back to the Capital
to live in my Grandma where I can play, I
can be on and the.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
Team in my neighborhood.
Speaker 5 (10:23):
I remember the push telling me you're not going to
play with guys your age. You go, I'm going to
put you in the senior team because you are told
so you can learn faster. I think that is what
kind of made me get better. That's that quick because
I had like I had a ceiling to reach. I
had to catch up to these guys. I had to
work so hard to get to the level this guy worked.
(10:43):
Even though they were all there, they did been playing longer.
I didn't want to be the weak link on the team.
So they kind of motivated me to want to catch
up to the level they were playing, compared to me
being with guys that were like my age, where you
were just like, you know, the level of the skill
level or whatever was at the same, but play in
the seam where you guys were all the most periods
(11:05):
more mature allowed me to kind of strive fast, and
I think it was worth the best in the decision
I made.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
H So, when you decided to play soccer, I mean
when you decided to play foot, I'm sorry, when you
decided to play basketball? Did you start playing soccer? Football or.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
The second step from that basketball court, I found something
that I was missing in my life.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
I found the piece.
Speaker 5 (11:36):
I found the you know, that was the only place
where I would not worried about anything. That was the
only place where I actually felt equal to everybody else,
even though we off the court we have significantly different lifestyle.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (11:57):
And I don't think anybody had any worse than me,
my all my friends. The basics need like food and
stuff like that. I don't think anybody had it worse
than me. But on that basketball court, we were equal.
On that basketball court, I was I was a guy
you want to be on.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
A team, on the team, that was a guy, that
was your friend. That was a guy. So yeah, so
soccer was history after that.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
So what made you choose to play college at Santa Clara.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
The number one reason is that I wanted to be
staying in California. That was the first thing. Because the
weather he is fairly close to the wedding cameroon. That's
the first thing. I I you know that.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Basketball could take you to college in the US? Yeah, idea.
How soon did you know that first day?
Speaker 5 (12:50):
I mean I I so it's it's I had a
bunch of people that for some isn't you know that
stepped it into my life and kind of guide me
none in a sense of like like when I started
playing basketball, I didn't know. I was just like I'm
(13:12):
just playing to play. And then about a couple of
months playing, there's a guy that came in into town.
The small town was and we were on a Friday
to play basketball, and then he was there and he
used to be he.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
Grew up in that town.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
And he looked at me, he's like, man, you don't
understand which your lenk and everything you you can you
can make big things.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
You can do big things in basketball even in the US.
Speaker 5 (13:40):
That was the first time that's me like, oh I
can this is actually I can change my life here, right,
I can change my life here.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
And that his name was Joe Joe Joe Baala was
like my birst name.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
Little apprentices about that guy that told me that made
me realize that basketball reletally changed my life. That was
just not going to be like a street baller. A
little thing about it. May he rest and pass away.
Three years ago and last year, before I go to
Cameroon from my camp, I get a message on Facebook
(14:15):
from a lady say, are you yan Nick the friend
of so and so Joe. I'm like yes, He's like, oh,
I am his widow. And he used to talk about
you so much that I would think that. But he
was talking about you all the time, but I never
really he never took time to introduce us because he told,
you know, one day you're going to meet him person.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
But life happened. He died in a accident.
Speaker 5 (14:38):
And now I have been looking for you because his
son is now twelve years old and he's like his dad.
He's tall and long, wanted to play basketball. And I
think that you can be the best person to guide
and I did everything I could for his son.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
You'd be at my camp last summer.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Awesome. Well, we're going to get to your camp in
just a minute. I would love you about how different
it was. And I've been to Ohio.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Eric.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
I don't know if you know where Ohio is, but
it's right near Santa Barbara. It's beautiful now. It is
a small town. But it is beautiful. I've stayed at
the Ohi Valley in And how different was it going
from Cameroon to that area of California? Like, was it
an easy transition for you? You already knew English, you
know five languages, so that probably wasn't that much of
(15:33):
a transition. But how what what was that like?
Speaker 5 (15:37):
So when I first got there, I didn't know English.
All I know when I got to the state was
I how my name is Yannick? And I remember I
didn't even know what an asking was meant I got.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
You didn't know English when you first know? Aren't good?
Speaker 4 (15:50):
Then I did? So I learned. I learned because you know,
the brain science has it that.
Speaker 5 (15:56):
You know, if you grow up speaking musical language, is
it for your brain too to pick up out the
language and stuff. So that was just you know, French, yes, French,
and then three African dialects and then English, and then.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
You've studied a little bit of Italian, a little.
Speaker 5 (16:10):
Bit, a little bit, you know, trying to pick a
lot of bit basic intro stuff.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
But yeah, in Ohi.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
I, when I was in Cameroon, you know, my dream
was was come to the US.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
But at the same time. I wasn't.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
I wasn't really like, I had no idea what cities
look like. I had no idea what you know that
different town can have different vibes, different and everything. So
when I came in, I came in blind. So I
think that going to a place like Ohio was the
best thing that happened to me because it's a small town,
like you says, it's the best way to ease your
(16:47):
way into a culture, into a country back because you
get that there's not a whole lot going on. It's
just a peaceful, quiet town, so easy to come in
and get you know, stay there and do what you
have to do and get used to learn life in
the US.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
And and and and from.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
There live to go to another place that's a little
bit that is slightly higher in terms of community and
energy and everything, like Santa Claara.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
So so then ultimately you ended up at Santa Clara.
And just tell us a little bit about how. I mean,
you know, you wanted to stay in California, but what
was your college experience like there?
Speaker 5 (17:24):
Yeah, so I wanted to stay in California, but I
didn't want to stay in southern California for another reason
was that I had a bunch of friends in high
school that were you know, uh that that no offense
to them into the friends, but we did not. We
did not have the same vision life and they.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
Had means that I personally did not have.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
So they can afford to make certain mistake in life
that I could not afford. And they were not I
won't say terrible people, but I will say they were
not a company that I wanted to uh on the day,
on a daily basis, UH have a round me.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
So I'm like, Okay, if I moved up north.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
In order for somebody to say I'm going to go
to school, I'm wanting to go visit, it has to
be a planning. It has to be communication. He has
to call me and say, hey, I'm thinking about coming
up there and searchally and like maybe like and say
oh sorry, we're traveling that time. And then I don't
see them, and so I wanted to come in and
also uh which coach uh shore show? But I think
(18:33):
but but, but I would also feel I would also
kind of say that I felt like it was a
whole team effort because they're all from coach Kidding to
coach coach sol They're all really like they were on it.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
They were on top of it, you know. And and
but I.
Speaker 5 (18:49):
Would also so you know, yeah, sure show uh you know,
it's my guy. And and yeah, so me coming to
for the camp, you know, really liking this city, it
was good.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
And then coming back for my visit.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
Official visit, it just felt like, you know, I was
coming home. You know, there's places that you go met
to put time, and you still feel a stranger to
them every time you go there, even if you go
in time. But when I came back to Santa Clare
for the second time, even though I was the only
time I was there was like for three day camp
and then I left. But coming back from my official visit,
it just felt it felt like at home because I
(19:28):
had all of school that I had. I was part
of a basketball camp and came back on a visit,
but I didn't feel that way. So coaching staff just
got feelings and yeah, and the location, I'm like, I
think I can I can feel right in here and
I will be comfortable here. So that's how I came
out to choose to go to Santa Clara. And my
(19:50):
experience that absolutely was absolutely amazing, absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
Yeah, I mean youngly, it's kind of one of those
guys like he's going to laugh when I say this,
but he's kind of like one of those guys like
Prince Madonna. He's just a one name kind of guy.
So you would see Yanick walking across campus, of course,
six eight, huge tall guy, long arms, large, you know,
large hands. You'd seem he'd be at soccer games, he'd
go to everything. You'd seehim at water polo and people
(20:16):
would always be like, hey on eck.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
You know.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
They didn't never call him by his last name like
some places do. They just would always say Yanick. Always
had a huge smile, super friendly to everybody. So it was,
you know, fun watching you grow to the to the
person that you've become. Now, you haven't changed a bit,
You're still that same friendly, you know, big smile person,
so sweet.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Well, Michelle was telling me a little bit about you
when we were doing you know, just preparing for our
podcast today, and she mentioned that during your time there
that you used to collect shoes and send them back
home to kids in Cameroon. So how did you know
being there was that like kind of your connection, Like
what was the whole idea year behind that.
Speaker 5 (21:04):
Like you know, I if I say that, if I
tell you that my upbringing, uh was not easy, it's
an understatement. And and as a kid, you know, when
(21:25):
you go to a really rough path and you don't
know where your salvation is going to come from, it's
very hard to forget that. And I you know, the
lightest memory I can have is to is when, for example,
I saw a guy from Cameroon that was you said
(21:49):
at the time, that from a NBA player who came
to Cameroon a year before I came to the US,
and he came to or practice where you're practicing with
the Timo Splain, and I remember he was talking to
us at the end of practice, and I remember just
like looking at him with admiration, and I wanted the
sneakers that he had in his hit. I wanted it.
(22:11):
I wanted it so bad. I was like, man, you know,
I wish I could have a sneaker like this.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
And so me sitting did.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
You play in when you report what kind of shoes?
Speaker 4 (22:22):
No, I mean regulous kind.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Of shoes you had or running throes.
Speaker 5 (22:27):
For the most part, it was just you know, walking sneakers.
But and then yeah, when I started plowing that team
I had then by that time at least I had
like a basketball shoes, and and just looking at you
know how bad I wanted things that he had in him,
you know, kind of.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
Stayed with me.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
And and then I remember even when I was at
Baston Head in high school, we decided to do the
the junior year trip that usually kids are required, you know,
to do as part of the high school careerculum, to
go oversea trip something and go do some work and stuff.
So that in twenty two and nine, my school decided
that I was go to Cameroon. So we went to
(23:09):
Cameroon to do do some work at an orphanage. The
collected shoes, I collected clothes. I collected a bunch of
stuff and I went home and gave them to my
kids in my neighborhood.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Shoes, shoes. I know how important it is. I know
how important does go for them.
Speaker 5 (23:25):
And after that and in college, you know, us putting
box in the local room, and I would constantly ship shoes.
And somebody's going to Camero and he's in Washington, DC.
Let me go ship a box of shoes. You can
take it home. And stuff like that. So I was
doing that in college and uh later on after I
was done with call, I did that all the whole
(23:47):
time in college. Every time I went home, I would
I would you know, I would get some academy.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Hey, I'm taking extra bags of shoes, and.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Jerry Smith and the women's soccer coach that ended up
winning it. I always wanted a bunch of titles. There
was really very.
Speaker 5 (24:02):
Very yes, absolutely with the jerseys and stuff. So that's
pretty much how I did it. And then I went
for a time there for six years after graduate college
that I didn't go home, and I was okay. In
twenty nineteen when I wanted to go again, I'm like, okay,
instead of just bringing shoes, why not do more? Why not,
(24:22):
for example, do a basketball camp. And that's how the
idea came in. And I was like, well, what would
you do just do a basketball camp?
Speaker 4 (24:32):
Why don't you do more, like maybe fund.
Speaker 5 (24:35):
Scholarship for somebody, for people? And I started working.
Speaker 4 (24:42):
I started. I remember emailing about.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
Fifty school and just bay, I didn't care whether they
had done or not. I emailed fifty school and then
one school only say hey, let's let's talk.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
And I said Hey, I'm trying to start.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
This program in Africa, but you know, I'm trying to
see if this opportunist was lay shup here for student athlete.
So that way, you know, you can you guys can
get an athlete and somebody's life get changed and then
they're like, yeah, yeah, we can have a scholarship. Let's
just let us know so and usually stuff like that,
(25:16):
if you want to start something like that because of
how bad kid wants to one the opportunity in Africa,
you can go to a family and say, oh, I
think your kid has a potential, let me do this,
and then it doesn't work, and then you know, the
family disappointed and then they hate you.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
So I rarely disappoint my own family.
Speaker 5 (25:32):
So the first person that I decided to bring over
here was my cousin. I say, okay, let's start this
process with you. So if it fails, my time is
not going to throw me away. But if it works out,
it's the machine is rolling. And I went in twenty nineteen,
selected twenty five kids.
Speaker 4 (25:54):
We did a camp where we had twenty five joy.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
With this with somebody guiding you, like, here's how you
started the camp or did you just let's do it.
Speaker 5 (26:06):
Because I was part of munticipal camp. I kind of
had an idea of what it takes you to a
lot of camps yesh, yeah, yeah, and kind of like
did my own work for that and so yeah, I
went to Cameroon to do the camp twenty five kids.
We had twenty twenty thirty jerseys, but we had like
three only three different number which mean it was like
(26:26):
five number thirty three, five number two twelve, five number fifty.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
And there was butter and yeah, and the kids came
in to learn. It was fun.
Speaker 5 (26:38):
And that year, that's when my cousin got the visit
to come to school years and then that's where the
whole thing should get and then from there s growing.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
So are the camps mostly girls boys or a mix?
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Oh, it's mixed, It's mixed.
Speaker 5 (26:57):
I have to admit that I struggle that I have
had over the years is to find scholarship for girls
because some more school you know, are located the same
budget when it comes to scholarship for girls sport as
much as they will locate to two boys, which makes
(27:19):
it a lot a lot harder to ask a school
to say, we have this girl coming from Africa, but
the campus mixed.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
It's yeah, it has both.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
And I think are number with the success of your
campers and kids coming over to the US boys and
college coaches seeing those boys being successful, maybe that will
also help more US colleges want to recruit more girls
because I'll say, well, that boy was successful. It's not
just a crapshoot to try to get.
Speaker 5 (27:48):
H Yeah, absolutely, it's I mean essentially at the high
school level, I think that there's one school so far
that it's starting to move in a gendition of giving
an opportunity to girls aficial career.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
And that's because, uh, they have. They have been like.
Speaker 5 (28:12):
A big part of what I've been doing as fast
like they had last year.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
The last two years they had two kids.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
From my camp and wish to one Wish the one
that just that is school that is attending you see
you see I right now went to that school and
then the one that is rising senior there is ESPN
Top one hundred and I think I can play in California.
And they actually accepted another kid from my camp that
(28:41):
has a story similar to mine that is coming to
go to school there in two weeks. So they are
more inclined to give the opportunity to a girl now
compared to in the past, and so that's that's exciting.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
So what is is your camp? One day a week?
What is it like?
Speaker 5 (28:59):
What?
Speaker 1 (28:59):
How long is it?
Speaker 4 (29:00):
It's three days? It's a three day camp? What like?
Speaker 1 (29:05):
What take us through like a day like? And they
stay in the dorm room.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
So obviously, with the budgets that we have, we have
to uh work, we have to figure out ways to
make it work.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
The first two editions were just for kids that were
living in Yaoundi. It was only Yaoundi, and then at three,
the thirty edition, we started trying to, you know, move
to the neb the next biggest city in start having
a few kids from there attend the camp, and then
by audition number before we start doing it nationally. And
(29:38):
edition number five last year was internationally because they were
kids from all the country, neighbor in country that were
part of the camp and because you know.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
We we did. We have not stopped growing.
Speaker 5 (29:51):
Like I said, we started with twenty five kids. This
year we are doing eighty kids, you know, and we
have eighty kids coming to the camp from all over
the country that need to be those not with not
no family in the city that come from all there
very far like extreme not of the country. We have
to house them in a dorm at a local school
(30:14):
and their coaches and so we have them there for
the three days.
Speaker 4 (30:18):
We have to feed them, everything goes.
Speaker 5 (30:20):
Everything we make sure so we pay for the transportation,
housing and full for the three days. Uniforms, basketball shoes. Yeah,
it's it's fun experience. And then if you show out,
you show up and show out and prove that you're
a good student and you have the athletic ability. We
put you on a park line for an opportunity to
(30:42):
get a scholarship.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
So what does your typical day look like?
Speaker 4 (30:46):
Like?
Speaker 1 (30:46):
What are you doing in your typical day?
Speaker 5 (30:49):
So first day of the camp is usually the most interesting.
I think the first and the last day the first
day of the camp and I always feel it. But
it's like that's like one of the best feeling about it.
Speaker 4 (31:01):
Is when you know can start tomorrow.
Speaker 5 (31:07):
Players be that seventary, they get that seventary, the coaches
are there, they start giving the kids years and everything.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
You know, I wake up very early.
Speaker 5 (31:15):
So I send all this stuff over there were on
a campsite, so there's already people there, start dressing the
kids up and everything.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
And I when I show up, there.
Speaker 5 (31:27):
Like the energy, Like you can feel the energy when
you get on the campsite, because it's like all these
kids are excited, they are excited about the opportunity.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
They are anxious.
Speaker 5 (31:42):
It's like, oh my god, this can be it for me.
I can I can do good here and my life
will change. Right, It's like it's a job interview that
you don't want to bouch.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
You want to do absolute best.
Speaker 5 (31:54):
The coaches, everybody, because I'm like, I'm very like, I'm
on point with what I do, right, I'm like.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
This is films. Are you do some life skills stuff?
Talk to them about.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
No, we do everything. We do everything.
Speaker 5 (32:10):
So when I show up in the morning and everybody's
already getting just so you can feel the energy, it's unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
It's it's I don't think I don't. I don't think
I can.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
It's one of those things that you have to be
there to feel on the first day of the camp,
how high the energy is, how everybody is so excited,
everybody is so appreciative with the opportunity.
Speaker 4 (32:32):
Because I have eighty kids for example, this year, and
I have.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
Like, between coaches and kids and everything, a hundred people.
This is a hundred people that are put together for
three days to do this basketball team. And everybody is excited.
And I tell you what. The second I make the
announcement for the camp, my email, my instagram is floated
(32:55):
with message for a kid want opportunity, even coaches wanting
to be part of.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
And are your coaches do they just come and volunteer.
Speaker 5 (33:03):
Now the coach that gets selected, they come, they come
in and volunteer because you know, it's a it's a
great opportunity to learn, because there's a high change that
I have done more basketball than them. Yeah, I have
more spirits playing with basketball. And then so it's really a big, big, big,
big big. Like for example, this year, I decided that
instead of leaving the responsibility to a few of my
(33:27):
coaches to select players by watching them playing the league,
I decided.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
To have the host to hold the tryout.
Speaker 5 (33:36):
And in yeah oue day, we only have because the
number of campers by city is proportional to the number
of to how big the city is.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
So I I had a tryout.
Speaker 5 (33:51):
In ye day where we only had thirty spot available
the first tryout.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
Can you guess how many kids shut up for this child? Fifty?
That's two hundred.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
No, how did you pick?
Speaker 5 (34:09):
I have a lot of coaches because I wanted to.
I want to raise the level of competition, the skill level.
Speaker 4 (34:18):
On my camp.
Speaker 5 (34:19):
Therefore, order to have more potential and in order to
help more kids, I want to see more.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
So they did.
Speaker 5 (34:28):
They kept forty seven because we had to child with two,
so they kept out of that two hundred, they kept
forty seven on that first one, and then they said,
you doing forty seven, we're going to be part of it.
So yesterday was the second child where we had all
the kids that were missing for the first child coming
and then we had about seventy yesterday and then.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
At the end of the day we kept thirty.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
So then when is your camp.
Speaker 5 (34:51):
August eleven to the thirteen, and you'll be there, Yes,
of course I have to be there.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Yeah, and you're well still taking donations for this, and
we'll give all that information in our recap. But donations, yes,
did you see? Yes, you're taking that all back with you.
Speaker 4 (35:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (35:11):
There's an eight back exercalized bag filled with shoes and juicies.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
And everything those by eight.
Speaker 5 (35:20):
Of them four and so yeah, all that has to
be to around with me.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
Oh god, what do you enjoy most about the camps?
Just the whole experience?
Speaker 4 (35:35):
Do you know how? You know the quote that says that.
Speaker 5 (35:41):
Uh, we all have our own personal purpose in the
slave before anybody has an opinion.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
I think that.
Speaker 5 (35:51):
I enjoy because I'm enjoying. I enjoy it because I
serve my purpose. Because when a kid gets a scholarship
to come here, like you are changing the tragictory of
his whole life and his whole family life.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
You are changing. You are changing a whole family. So
if you bring five kids here, that's five.
Speaker 5 (36:17):
Family that you have impacted in a positive direction.
Speaker 4 (36:24):
And for me, that's the most important thing.
Speaker 5 (36:27):
That's what I enjoyed to know that somebody got an
opportunity to better his life, to better himself through something
that I can do.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
Do you feel like that's what happened with you when
you went to the US?
Speaker 5 (36:43):
Say yes, So, being knowing how bad I wanted an opportunity,
I wanted a way out, I wanted an opportunity, I
wanted something to happen. I was I was not going
to be my life. I was struggling. I mean I think,
tell you how many that I sat outside just look
at this. I look at the time like this is
this really it for me? And I was young. So
(37:09):
when you find ourself in a situation where like you
can help, right, like I woke up this morning. For example,
the kid that is coming here in two weeks, I
h I found him on the street two years ago
coming back from a basketball practice. He just started two
months into basketball. And I called and stopped him very long.
(37:29):
You're going to see him. He has that's like a
seven six or seven seven wins fan. And I stopped
him on the street and said, where are you coming from? Say,
basketball practice? And I'm like, where are you going?
Speaker 4 (37:39):
And going home? So I talked to him for a
little bit and then I'm like, okay, here's my phone number.
Reach out to me on what type or something.
Speaker 5 (37:45):
I just didn't even bother to ask me if he
had a phone, and I just gave him think and
then he.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
Left keep running.
Speaker 5 (37:52):
And then my friend I was waiting for calling me, Hey,
you're on the wrong gas station. Drive two block letter further.
You're going to be there, So drive passing. He's still running,
I go ahead and stop, and then I sit there
and and here he comes again. I was like, okay,
I think God want me to do something for this kid.
(38:12):
It's not a coincident that I see him twice. So
I tell him, do you have can you do you
have a phone number or your parents phone number? He
gave me his mom's phone number. I called my camp director,
who by the way, just won the Summer League with
the with the Charlotte Hornets, and I said, hey, call
this lady telling her to bring her son to the
camp tomorrow. He called her the next morning. He was
(38:33):
at the camp first.
Speaker 4 (38:34):
Day that day. I didn't I know he wasn't going
to be the best guy. He's not going to do it.
Speaker 5 (38:38):
I just wanted to see how he runs, how he moves.
At the end of that camp, nobody was closer to
help scholarship in my program than that kid. Two years later,
he is coming here in two weeks, even though we
still have to figure out his plent ticket because his
mom doesn't.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
He's struggling to to to get that.
Speaker 5 (38:55):
But I'm sure we will figure that out. But he
already got his visa and spick that out of school
and making it happen.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
That's an incredible story, so amazing listening to you talk
about this camp. And you know what's really cool about
your story is, and probably people don't know this, you
are in the well you were when you graduated in
the top ten for rebounding at Santa Clara. You actually
had more career rebounds than Kurt Rambis who went in
(39:26):
went on to the Lakers and won multiple rings with
the Lakers. So you have more career rebounds in college
than Kurt Rambis. And so it's sweet to hear the
kind of the full circle story about this. Why is
this camp and this will be our last question before
we headed the Sprint Sin spin cycle. Why is this
(39:48):
camp so important for Cameron?
Speaker 5 (39:53):
Yeah, it's this comes is so important for the kids
in camor Roon because opportunity to stunt come that easy. Uh,
you know the country. Life is very hard in the
country right now, and most people are trying to leave
(40:13):
the country because they can find any opportunities and and
you know, people are desperate for opportunities. You know, some
people wait for opportunity and they don't get it and
they decide to go to Europe by the desert and
by road. Then most people end up dying because it's
just that bad as somebody is willing to do his
life to go to so euro by sea.
Speaker 4 (40:35):
So if the younger generation.
Speaker 5 (40:38):
We can create more opportunity for the younger generation that
they never get to the point where they have to
make such a decision.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
Why not do it?
Speaker 5 (40:45):
If you have an opportunity to help and change your life,
why not do it. That's why I think it's important
for the kids in camera and I and I feel
it every day because I know when you have to
tell a kid that I'm sorry, you're not ready to
do the campus this year. Go home and work hard,
and maybe next year you're going to make it. You
can see in his face the disappointment. You know, he
(41:06):
feels like he you know, his life just stopped there
for a little while. And kids are excited for this opportunity.
They walk hard all year alone for this opportunity. They
want it, They want the opportunity, they want it.
Speaker 4 (41:18):
I'm like, it's it's it's.
Speaker 5 (41:22):
To be in a position to be able to provide
a way out two kids. There's a lot of very
shooting beside, you know, being the good the good dad.
I think that's the second gradest achievement.
Speaker 4 (41:38):
In my life.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
But it's super impressive and it's just amazing to see
you know that Michelle knew you was a student athlete,
and it's always, I think, great to see what the
student athletes are doing after college. And what you've done
is just nothing short of just awesome.
Speaker 4 (41:53):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
It's not surprising to those that know and love.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
All right, Well, Ynick, before where you leave us on
this episode, We've got one more segment. We call the
spin cycles, texting or talking, morning person or night owl?
Speaker 5 (42:10):
Oh, morning person, daddy, Yeah, money person person.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
Cold plunge or steamsana cold.
Speaker 4 (42:26):
Yes it hurts, but yes I will write it.
Speaker 1 (42:29):
At seahawks or forty nine ers.
Speaker 4 (42:34):
Oh seahawks.
Speaker 1 (42:38):
Wait till shoal here.
Speaker 2 (42:40):
That was surprised. All right, and I'm not sure if
you are the chef in the house, But what's for dinner?
Speaker 5 (42:47):
Uh? It can either be salmon with mush potatoes. Oh,
it can be pasta with chicken.
Speaker 1 (42:56):
Are your kids piggie eaters?
Speaker 4 (42:59):
Very picky eater?
Speaker 5 (43:00):
So every time they sit down and then the one
they agree to eat what I made, it's uh, you know,
I shake my head. The whole time I braggle bout
it that I got got him awesome.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
Well, thank you so much. Good luck at your camp
this year and years beyond. You know, we'll keep in
touch with you. You're going to have so many amazing
visuals that we're gonna want to use videos and photos,
and I just wish you the best of luck, be
safe and go out there and change some lives.
Speaker 5 (43:30):
Thank you, thank you, Michelle, thank you, Erica, and thank
you for the opportunity.
Speaker 1 (43:36):
Wow, Erica, that was really special And I'm really glad
that our listeners could hear the passion that Yannick has
for his Impact Basketball camp in Cameroon.
Speaker 2 (43:49):
Now what just what an incredible story from the beginning
to to just now. And I especially just think about
how he was then able to kind of one of
his mentors coach his son and that just comes full
circle and I think it's just incredible what he's doing,
and just he's got a gift for sure.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
Yeah, and I'm excited. We'll make sure that we put
all the links and stuff to Impact Charity at Africa
dot com and we'll put all those links in and
you can donate as well. And it's just so cool
to see. How you know, something that you think is
just how could that change your life? But how playing
(44:29):
basketball and shooting hoops could change someone's life so much
like it did for him and now what he continues
to do for others.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
Exactly just one single pair of shoes, you know, one
single moment of stepping on a basketball court and holding
that ball in your hand, and how those little moments
that are life changing. So it was a wonderful story
and so glad that I got to meet him through
you and share with our listeners.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
Yeah, thank you very much for listening. And like we said,
we'll put these links on our social and in the
write up about the podcast, and make sure that you
continue to subscribe to our podcast and like our podcasts
and make comments and
Hey Michelle, Hello Erica, welcome back.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome to the spine Chicks podcast, and yes, welcome back.
We've been on a little hiatus, but you know what,
life happens, so have you been.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
I've been good, very good.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Obviously we've been catching up, just not with our podcast audience.
But you know, like you said, life happens. But the
important thing is we're back. You're feeling a little rusty.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
No, no, ready to ready to talk, Ready to talk
about things going on? Life going on, lots of stuff
going on.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
So all right, Well, I was feeling a little rusty,
but I think it came off pretty quickly, not like
when we started. But you know, we've been doing this
a while, so I think we're good. But I know
you lost your cord for your mic during the hiatus,
but I feel like we've.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Resolved that right. Yes, yes, it took a little Amazon
googling to figure out which cord it is exactly, but
we're back and so we're good. It's weird because I
keep it put someplace in an old candle holder, and
it's weird that I just could not find it. And
you know how days when you organize, I did a
(01:24):
bunch of organizing in my office this summer and probably overorganized.
So now I.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Cantally fail you. I did the same thing. I got
my label maker. You know, we moved, so now I'm
a permanent resident of Alabama. But I found my label
maker and so I was like labeling everything, and I think,
you know, I over organized because I went to look
for something and it was right in the bin that's
that said, like markers or whatever it was. But so
I just got to get used to the system.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Yeah, so we added an outdoor shower. Since we talked
last and I know you've probably got some questions. Are excited.
We have a pool. We live in Tampa, and my
husband used the outdoor shower for the first time today
and came inside with the biggest smile on his face
and was like, I'm so glad. We added that I
didn't understand what the big deal was, thought it was
(02:14):
kind of dumb, but he was really excited.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So, well, funny you should mention that because we also
have an outdoor shower and we've never used it and
it's been like four or five years that we've had it.
So we were downstairs and Dale's like, hey, let's just
let's just turn it on. I was like, all right, sweet,
we're gonna do it. Goes in, turns the water on,
turns it on, the water comes gushing out like you
know where you turn it, not the shower head. So
(02:38):
we feel like maybe it froze or something happened, So
got to replace the valve.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Another project when we call. When we work on those projects,
you have them yourself because you've recently moved with your husband.
Those are called marriage projects. Can we stay married during
this project?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
So sorry, I have to laugh because you're very correct.
But well now that now that we're back, like, what
are you thinking like for the podcast? Like, we're back,
so what are ore?
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Do we have goals?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
We need to set goals or are we just winging it?
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Probably winging it. We do pretty good with goals, but
winging it. We've got some good guests coming up. I
think people are going to be excited to listen this.
This first guest that we have coming on on this podcast.
Yana Katanga from Cameroon is a former basketball player of
mine from Santa Clara and he is just such a
(03:35):
unique individual that I think the listeners will be really
excited towards I don't want to give away the podcast,
but towards the end, I know he's going to talk
to us about life for him as a child in
Cameroon growing up. His mom died when he was young,
and he had to move around a bit with family
(03:56):
and stuff, and he always, you know, he wondered what
his life was going to be like.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
And you know, we're sitting here talking about outdoor showers,
and before we jumped on, we were talking about hair
products and stuff, and you know, here's somebody that's wondering
sitting there as an eight year old kid, sitting on
his porch looking up, you know, looking out on.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
The horizon and thinking what is my life going to be?
And I thought that was really really interesting. I've heard
him talk about that before.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
So well, when you mentioned him too as a potential guest,
I know we were talking. I always love to I know,
you've worked with so many student athletes, and while you've
had that experience while they were in college, it's just
wonderful to kind of hear how they got there and
then what they've been doing, what life has been like after.
So I think he's got an incredible story and really
(04:45):
excited to tell it with you. And share it with
our listeners.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yeah, he calls himself the mayor of the Bay Area.
So whenever I go back to California, if I'm in town,
he will see him on Facebook and be like, oh,
the mayor needs to see you. So he's got a
good personality, such a good smile, and has so many
good things to say about so many people.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Yes, and you won't be able to see his smile, however,
it will radiate through the mic. So let's talk to Janick.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
We've got a very special guest today, Yanick Atanga.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
All right, and tell us again how you guys know
each other.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
So I was Yanick's pr person at Santa Clara. It
was his sid. So we're gonna throw this back and
pretend that this podcast is being recorded at the Hut,
the old Hut, not the revised, revamped Hut.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
That was good to me, okay, perfect.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
So Yanick was a power forward. He is six seven,
Is that right.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
I haven't got to the point where I was shrinking yet.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Oh yeah, okay. And what's your wingspan?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Seven three seven three? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yeah, So I was always amazed by his wingspan.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
So well, Michelle told me that you came to Santa
Clara from Cameroon. So could you tell us just a
little bit about how you got to Santa Clara and
how you started playing basketball.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
Yeah, I came to Santa Clara from Ohai to start.
There was Ohi before Cameroon. But yeah, I started playing
basketball when I was fourteen, which is very late, complex
to most most athlete here in the US, because in
Cameroon or men's sport for a long time was soccer everybody.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
So yes, I was a goalie, and then I was
a forward.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
You're too tall to be in midfielder and everything, so
you got to be a goalie. So I was a goalie,
which explained why I Lady West was gone instance rebranding,
because I have that ability. So I was a goalie
playing soccer and then basketball. It happened just as a
fake nature. Somebody just kind of randomly pulled me out
(07:14):
on the suit and said you should You know, his
exact would were, you know, sometimes God gives us things
and we don't know what to do with them. And
if I were you, I would go for a basketball
And at the time I was very a little bit lost,
you know, two years removed from from my mom passing
(07:34):
and just moved to the new city where to live
with my dad and just trying to figure things out.
And that started with me for about two weeks and
then one day I'm like, okay, let me go try
this basketball.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
You would never try a basket before you were fourty no, And.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
I went to a basketball court.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
It was bad, ten miles away from where I live
and got then then there was a bunch of guys
playing say hey, I want to play the loud we
actually need one player. And I'm like, I never played
with for that class. Fine, And I tell you the
second step to foot in that basketball court, everything changed everything,
(08:14):
literally everything. It's like you stepped into a whole different
world where everything is all of a sudden, uh new, different, motivating,
inspiring you find like it's like I found that little
bubble and from there it became an every day thing.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
It didn't matter the distance. Every day I will go.
I will go. I will go every time.
Speaker 5 (08:39):
You know, if you don't sport, if you you you training,
you work hard, every day, you get better. It's not
there's a magic to that which you know. By going
there every day, despite the distance, despart the living condition,
I was able to stride very fast compared to some
of the guy that either were playing before me or
that started at the same time. Yeah, everything went fast,
(09:03):
very very fast. It took me by three years to
get a scholarship to come to the US and about
a year to get about a year in the US
to get twenty four scholarship offs.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
How long did you played from when you started that
first day on the court to when you came to Ohi?
Speaker 4 (09:21):
Three years?
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Oh so three years? Okay, so oh Hi is not
a bad place to live either. I mean to go
from Cameroon. How big was your town that you're from.
I have to admit that when I was your sid,
I don't think I ever pronounced your town's name. I
would just say he's from Cameroon and everyone would say okay,
and they would say where you pointed the name and be.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
Like, yeah, so my You know, I grew up in Yaundi,
which is the capital.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
At the capital of Cameroon, and then.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
When I started playing basketball, I was in a cornolling
another town which is called my village where that's pretty
family from your woun day. That's why I started playing basketball.
After a year of playing there and realizing that there
was not the full of basketball player, and that time
was not big enough for me to be able to
(10:13):
really get better. So I moved back to the Capital
to live in my Grandma where I can play, I
can be on and the.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
Team in my neighborhood.
Speaker 5 (10:23):
I remember the push telling me you're not going to
play with guys your age. You go, I'm going to
put you in the senior team because you are told
so you can learn faster. I think that is what
kind of made me get better. That's that quick because
I had like I had a ceiling to reach. I
had to catch up to these guys. I had to
work so hard to get to the level this guy worked.
(10:43):
Even though they were all there, they did been playing longer.
I didn't want to be the weak link on the team.
So they kind of motivated me to want to catch
up to the level they were playing, compared to me
being with guys that were like my age, where you
were just like, you know, the level of the skill
level or whatever was at the same, but play in
the seam where you guys were all the most periods
(11:05):
more mature allowed me to kind of strive fast, and
I think it was worth the best in the decision
I made.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
H So, when you decided to play soccer, I mean
when you decided to play foot, I'm sorry, when you
decided to play basketball? Did you start playing soccer? Football or.
Speaker 5 (11:26):
The second step from that basketball court, I found something
that I was missing in my life.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
I found the piece.
Speaker 5 (11:36):
I found the you know, that was the only place
where I would not worried about anything. That was the
only place where I actually felt equal to everybody else,
even though we off the court we have significantly different lifestyle.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (11:57):
And I don't think anybody had any worse than me,
my all my friends. The basics need like food and
stuff like that. I don't think anybody had it worse
than me. But on that basketball court, we were equal.
On that basketball court, I was I was a guy
you want to be on.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
A team, on the team, that was a guy, that
was your friend. That was a guy. So yeah, so
soccer was history after that.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
So what made you choose to play college at Santa Clara.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
The number one reason is that I wanted to be
staying in California. That was the first thing. Because the
weather he is fairly close to the wedding cameroon. That's
the first thing. I I you know that.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Basketball could take you to college in the US? Yeah, idea.
How soon did you know that first day?
Speaker 5 (12:50):
I mean I I so it's it's I had a
bunch of people that for some isn't you know that
stepped it into my life and kind of guide me
none in a sense of like like when I started
playing basketball, I didn't know. I was just like I'm
(13:12):
just playing to play. And then about a couple of
months playing, there's a guy that came in into town.
The small town was and we were on a Friday
to play basketball, and then he was there and he
used to be he.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
Grew up in that town.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
And he looked at me, he's like, man, you don't
understand which your lenk and everything you you can you
can make big things.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
You can do big things in basketball even in the US.
Speaker 5 (13:40):
That was the first time that's me like, oh I
can this is actually I can change my life here, right,
I can change my life here.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
And that his name was Joe Joe Joe Baala was
like my birst name.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
Little apprentices about that guy that told me that made
me realize that basketball reletally changed my life. That was
just not going to be like a street baller. A
little thing about it. May he rest and pass away.
Three years ago and last year, before I go to
Cameroon from my camp, I get a message on Facebook
(14:15):
from a lady say, are you yan Nick the friend
of so and so Joe. I'm like yes, He's like, oh,
I am his widow. And he used to talk about
you so much that I would think that. But he
was talking about you all the time, but I never
really he never took time to introduce us because he told,
you know, one day you're going to meet him person.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
But life happened. He died in a accident.
Speaker 5 (14:38):
And now I have been looking for you because his
son is now twelve years old and he's like his dad.
He's tall and long, wanted to play basketball. And I
think that you can be the best person to guide
and I did everything I could for his son.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
You'd be at my camp last summer.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Awesome. Well, we're going to get to your camp in
just a minute. I would love you about how different
it was. And I've been to Ohio.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Eric.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
I don't know if you know where Ohio is, but
it's right near Santa Barbara. It's beautiful now. It is
a small town. But it is beautiful. I've stayed at
the Ohi Valley in And how different was it going
from Cameroon to that area of California? Like, was it
an easy transition for you? You already knew English, you
know five languages, so that probably wasn't that much of
(15:33):
a transition. But how what what was that like?
Speaker 5 (15:37):
So when I first got there, I didn't know English.
All I know when I got to the state was
I how my name is Yannick? And I remember I
didn't even know what an asking was meant I got.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
You didn't know English when you first know? Aren't good?
Speaker 4 (15:50):
Then I did? So I learned. I learned because you know,
the brain science has it that.
Speaker 5 (15:56):
You know, if you grow up speaking musical language, is
it for your brain too to pick up out the
language and stuff. So that was just you know, French, yes, French,
and then three African dialects and then English, and then.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
You've studied a little bit of Italian, a little.
Speaker 5 (16:10):
Bit, a little bit, you know, trying to pick a
lot of bit basic intro stuff.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
But yeah, in Ohi.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
I, when I was in Cameroon, you know, my dream
was was come to the US.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
But at the same time. I wasn't.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
I wasn't really like, I had no idea what cities
look like. I had no idea what you know that
different town can have different vibes, different and everything. So
when I came in, I came in blind. So I
think that going to a place like Ohio was the
best thing that happened to me because it's a small town,
like you says, it's the best way to ease your
(16:47):
way into a culture, into a country back because you
get that there's not a whole lot going on. It's
just a peaceful, quiet town, so easy to come in
and get you know, stay there and do what you
have to do and get used to learn life in
the US.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
And and and and from.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
There live to go to another place that's a little
bit that is slightly higher in terms of community and
energy and everything, like Santa Claara.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
So so then ultimately you ended up at Santa Clara.
And just tell us a little bit about how. I mean,
you know, you wanted to stay in California, but what
was your college experience like there?
Speaker 5 (17:24):
Yeah, so I wanted to stay in California, but I
didn't want to stay in southern California for another reason
was that I had a bunch of friends in high
school that were you know, uh that that no offense
to them into the friends, but we did not. We
did not have the same vision life and they.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
Had means that I personally did not have.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
So they can afford to make certain mistake in life
that I could not afford. And they were not I
won't say terrible people, but I will say they were
not a company that I wanted to uh on the day,
on a daily basis, UH have a round me.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
So I'm like, Okay, if I moved up north.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
In order for somebody to say I'm going to go
to school, I'm wanting to go visit, it has to
be a planning. It has to be communication. He has
to call me and say, hey, I'm thinking about coming
up there and searchally and like maybe like and say
oh sorry, we're traveling that time. And then I don't
see them, and so I wanted to come in and
also uh which coach uh shore show? But I think
(18:33):
but but, but I would also feel I would also
kind of say that I felt like it was a
whole team effort because they're all from coach Kidding to
coach coach sol They're all really like they were on it.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
They were on top of it, you know. And and
but I.
Speaker 5 (18:49):
Would also so you know, yeah, sure show uh you know,
it's my guy. And and yeah, so me coming to
for the camp, you know, really liking this city, it
was good.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
And then coming back for my visit.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
Official visit, it just felt like, you know, I was
coming home. You know, there's places that you go met
to put time, and you still feel a stranger to
them every time you go there, even if you go
in time. But when I came back to Santa Clare
for the second time, even though I was the only
time I was there was like for three day camp
and then I left. But coming back from my official visit,
it just felt it felt like at home because I
(19:28):
had all of school that I had. I was part
of a basketball camp and came back on a visit,
but I didn't feel that way. So coaching staff just
got feelings and yeah, and the location, I'm like, I
think I can I can feel right in here and
I will be comfortable here. So that's how I came
out to choose to go to Santa Clara. And my
(19:50):
experience that absolutely was absolutely amazing, absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
Yeah, I mean youngly, it's kind of one of those
guys like he's going to laugh when I say this,
but he's kind of like one of those guys like
Prince Madonna. He's just a one name kind of guy.
So you would see Yanick walking across campus, of course,
six eight, huge tall guy, long arms, large, you know,
large hands. You'd seem he'd be at soccer games, he'd
go to everything. You'd seehim at water polo and people
(20:16):
would always be like, hey on eck.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
You know.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
They didn't never call him by his last name like
some places do. They just would always say Yanick. Always
had a huge smile, super friendly to everybody. So it was,
you know, fun watching you grow to the to the
person that you've become. Now, you haven't changed a bit,
You're still that same friendly, you know, big smile person,
so sweet.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Well, Michelle was telling me a little bit about you
when we were doing you know, just preparing for our
podcast today, and she mentioned that during your time there
that you used to collect shoes and send them back
home to kids in Cameroon. So how did you know
being there was that like kind of your connection, Like
what was the whole idea year behind that.
Speaker 5 (21:04):
Like you know, I if I say that, if I
tell you that my upbringing, uh was not easy, it's
an understatement. And and as a kid, you know, when
(21:25):
you go to a really rough path and you don't
know where your salvation is going to come from, it's
very hard to forget that. And I you know, the
lightest memory I can have is to is when, for example,
I saw a guy from Cameroon that was you said
(21:49):
at the time, that from a NBA player who came
to Cameroon a year before I came to the US,
and he came to or practice where you're practicing with
the Timo Splain, and I remember he was talking to
us at the end of practice, and I remember just
like looking at him with admiration, and I wanted the
sneakers that he had in his hit. I wanted it.
(22:11):
I wanted it so bad. I was like, man, you know,
I wish I could have a sneaker like this.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
And so me sitting did.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
You play in when you report what kind of shoes?
Speaker 4 (22:22):
No, I mean regulous kind.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Of shoes you had or running throes.
Speaker 5 (22:27):
For the most part, it was just you know, walking sneakers.
But and then yeah, when I started plowing that team
I had then by that time at least I had
like a basketball shoes, and and just looking at you
know how bad I wanted things that he had in him,
you know, kind of.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
Stayed with me.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
And and then I remember even when I was at
Baston Head in high school, we decided to do the
the junior year trip that usually kids are required, you know,
to do as part of the high school careerculum, to
go oversea trip something and go do some work and stuff.
So that in twenty two and nine, my school decided
that I was go to Cameroon. So we went to
(23:09):
Cameroon to do do some work at an orphanage. The
collected shoes, I collected clothes. I collected a bunch of
stuff and I went home and gave them to my
kids in my neighborhood.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Shoes, shoes. I know how important it is. I know
how important does go for them.
Speaker 5 (23:25):
And after that and in college, you know, us putting
box in the local room, and I would constantly ship shoes.
And somebody's going to Camero and he's in Washington, DC.
Let me go ship a box of shoes. You can
take it home. And stuff like that. So I was
doing that in college and uh later on after I
was done with call, I did that all the whole
(23:47):
time in college. Every time I went home, I would
I would you know, I would get some academy.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Hey, I'm taking extra bags of shoes, and.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Jerry Smith and the women's soccer coach that ended up
winning it. I always wanted a bunch of titles. There
was really very.
Speaker 5 (24:02):
Very yes, absolutely with the jerseys and stuff. So that's
pretty much how I did it. And then I went
for a time there for six years after graduate college
that I didn't go home, and I was okay. In
twenty nineteen when I wanted to go again, I'm like, okay,
instead of just bringing shoes, why not do more? Why not,
(24:22):
for example, do a basketball camp. And that's how the
idea came in. And I was like, well, what would
you do just do a basketball camp?
Speaker 4 (24:32):
Why don't you do more, like maybe fund.
Speaker 5 (24:35):
Scholarship for somebody, for people? And I started working.
Speaker 4 (24:42):
I started. I remember emailing about.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
Fifty school and just bay, I didn't care whether they
had done or not. I emailed fifty school and then
one school only say hey, let's let's talk.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
And I said Hey, I'm trying to start.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
This program in Africa, but you know, I'm trying to
see if this opportunist was lay shup here for student athlete.
So that way, you know, you can you guys can
get an athlete and somebody's life get changed and then
they're like, yeah, yeah, we can have a scholarship. Let's
just let us know so and usually stuff like that,
(25:16):
if you want to start something like that because of
how bad kid wants to one the opportunity in Africa,
you can go to a family and say, oh, I
think your kid has a potential, let me do this,
and then it doesn't work, and then you know, the
family disappointed and then they hate you.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
So I rarely disappoint my own family.
Speaker 5 (25:32):
So the first person that I decided to bring over
here was my cousin. I say, okay, let's start this
process with you. So if it fails, my time is
not going to throw me away. But if it works out,
it's the machine is rolling. And I went in twenty nineteen,
selected twenty five kids.
Speaker 4 (25:54):
We did a camp where we had twenty five joy.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
With this with somebody guiding you, like, here's how you
started the camp or did you just let's do it.
Speaker 5 (26:06):
Because I was part of munticipal camp. I kind of
had an idea of what it takes you to a
lot of camps yesh, yeah, yeah, and kind of like
did my own work for that and so yeah, I
went to Cameroon to do the camp twenty five kids.
We had twenty twenty thirty jerseys, but we had like
three only three different number which mean it was like
(26:26):
five number thirty three, five number two twelve, five number fifty.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
And there was butter and yeah, and the kids came
in to learn. It was fun.
Speaker 5 (26:38):
And that year, that's when my cousin got the visit
to come to school years and then that's where the
whole thing should get and then from there s growing.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
So are the camps mostly girls boys or a mix?
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Oh, it's mixed, It's mixed.
Speaker 5 (26:57):
I have to admit that I struggle that I have
had over the years is to find scholarship for girls
because some more school you know, are located the same
budget when it comes to scholarship for girls sport as
much as they will locate to two boys, which makes
(27:19):
it a lot a lot harder to ask a school
to say, we have this girl coming from Africa, but
the campus mixed.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
It's yeah, it has both.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
And I think are number with the success of your
campers and kids coming over to the US boys and
college coaches seeing those boys being successful, maybe that will
also help more US colleges want to recruit more girls
because I'll say, well, that boy was successful. It's not
just a crapshoot to try to get.
Speaker 5 (27:48):
H Yeah, absolutely, it's I mean essentially at the high
school level, I think that there's one school so far
that it's starting to move in a gendition of giving
an opportunity to girls aficial career.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
And that's because, uh, they have. They have been like.
Speaker 5 (28:12):
A big part of what I've been doing as fast
like they had last year.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
The last two years they had two kids.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
From my camp and wish to one Wish the one
that just that is school that is attending you see
you see I right now went to that school and
then the one that is rising senior there is ESPN
Top one hundred and I think I can play in California.
And they actually accepted another kid from my camp that
(28:41):
has a story similar to mine that is coming to
go to school there in two weeks. So they are
more inclined to give the opportunity to a girl now
compared to in the past, and so that's that's exciting.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
So what is is your camp? One day a week?
What is it like?
Speaker 5 (28:59):
What?
Speaker 1 (28:59):
How long is it?
Speaker 4 (29:00):
It's three days? It's a three day camp? What like?
Speaker 1 (29:05):
What take us through like a day like? And they
stay in the dorm room.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
So obviously, with the budgets that we have, we have
to uh work, we have to figure out ways to
make it work.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
The first two editions were just for kids that were
living in Yaoundi. It was only Yaoundi, and then at three,
the thirty edition, we started trying to, you know, move
to the neb the next biggest city in start having
a few kids from there attend the camp, and then
by audition number before we start doing it nationally. And
(29:38):
edition number five last year was internationally because they were
kids from all the country, neighbor in country that were
part of the camp and because you know.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
We we did. We have not stopped growing.
Speaker 5 (29:51):
Like I said, we started with twenty five kids. This
year we are doing eighty kids, you know, and we
have eighty kids coming to the camp from all over
the country that need to be those not with not
no family in the city that come from all there
very far like extreme not of the country. We have
to house them in a dorm at a local school
(30:14):
and their coaches and so we have them there for
the three days.
Speaker 4 (30:18):
We have to feed them, everything goes.
Speaker 5 (30:20):
Everything we make sure so we pay for the transportation,
housing and full for the three days. Uniforms, basketball shoes. Yeah,
it's it's fun experience. And then if you show out,
you show up and show out and prove that you're
a good student and you have the athletic ability. We
put you on a park line for an opportunity to
(30:42):
get a scholarship.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
So what does your typical day look like?
Speaker 4 (30:46):
Like?
Speaker 1 (30:46):
What are you doing in your typical day?
Speaker 5 (30:49):
So first day of the camp is usually the most interesting.
I think the first and the last day the first
day of the camp and I always feel it. But
it's like that's like one of the best feeling about it.
Speaker 4 (31:01):
Is when you know can start tomorrow.
Speaker 5 (31:07):
Players be that seventary, they get that seventary, the coaches
are there, they start giving the kids years and everything.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
You know, I wake up very early.
Speaker 5 (31:15):
So I send all this stuff over there were on
a campsite, so there's already people there, start dressing the
kids up and everything.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
And I when I show up, there.
Speaker 5 (31:27):
Like the energy, Like you can feel the energy when
you get on the campsite, because it's like all these
kids are excited, they are excited about the opportunity.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
They are anxious.
Speaker 5 (31:42):
It's like, oh my god, this can be it for me.
I can I can do good here and my life
will change. Right, It's like it's a job interview that
you don't want to bouch.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
You want to do absolute best.
Speaker 5 (31:54):
The coaches, everybody, because I'm like, I'm very like, I'm
on point with what I do, right, I'm like.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
This is films. Are you do some life skills stuff?
Talk to them about.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
No, we do everything. We do everything.
Speaker 5 (32:10):
So when I show up in the morning and everybody's
already getting just so you can feel the energy, it's unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
It's it's I don't think I don't. I don't think
I can.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
It's one of those things that you have to be
there to feel on the first day of the camp,
how high the energy is, how everybody is so excited,
everybody is so appreciative with the opportunity.
Speaker 4 (32:32):
Because I have eighty kids for example, this year, and
I have.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
Like, between coaches and kids and everything, a hundred people.
This is a hundred people that are put together for
three days to do this basketball team. And everybody is excited.
And I tell you what. The second I make the
announcement for the camp, my email, my instagram is floated
(32:55):
with message for a kid want opportunity, even coaches wanting
to be part of.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
And are your coaches do they just come and volunteer.
Speaker 5 (33:03):
Now the coach that gets selected, they come, they come
in and volunteer because you know, it's a it's a
great opportunity to learn, because there's a high change that
I have done more basketball than them. Yeah, I have
more spirits playing with basketball. And then so it's really a big, big, big,
big big. Like for example, this year, I decided that
instead of leaving the responsibility to a few of my
(33:27):
coaches to select players by watching them playing the league,
I decided.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
To have the host to hold the tryout.
Speaker 5 (33:36):
And in yeah oue day, we only have because the
number of campers by city is proportional to the number
of to how big the city is.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
So I I had a tryout.
Speaker 5 (33:51):
In ye day where we only had thirty spot available
the first tryout.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
Can you guess how many kids shut up for this child? Fifty?
That's two hundred.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
No, how did you pick?
Speaker 5 (34:09):
I have a lot of coaches because I wanted to.
I want to raise the level of competition, the skill level.
Speaker 4 (34:18):
On my camp.
Speaker 5 (34:19):
Therefore, order to have more potential and in order to
help more kids, I want to see more.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
So they did.
Speaker 5 (34:28):
They kept forty seven because we had to child with two,
so they kept out of that two hundred, they kept
forty seven on that first one, and then they said,
you doing forty seven, we're going to be part of it.
So yesterday was the second child where we had all
the kids that were missing for the first child coming
and then we had about seventy yesterday and then.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
At the end of the day we kept thirty.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
So then when is your camp.
Speaker 5 (34:51):
August eleven to the thirteen, and you'll be there, Yes,
of course I have to be there.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Yeah, and you're well still taking donations for this, and
we'll give all that information in our recap. But donations, yes,
did you see? Yes, you're taking that all back with you.
Speaker 4 (35:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (35:11):
There's an eight back exercalized bag filled with shoes and juicies.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
And everything those by eight.
Speaker 5 (35:20):
Of them four and so yeah, all that has to
be to around with me.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
Oh god, what do you enjoy most about the camps?
Just the whole experience?
Speaker 4 (35:35):
Do you know how? You know the quote that says that.
Speaker 5 (35:41):
Uh, we all have our own personal purpose in the
slave before anybody has an opinion.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
I think that.
Speaker 5 (35:51):
I enjoy because I'm enjoying. I enjoy it because I
serve my purpose. Because when a kid gets a scholarship
to come here, like you are changing the tragictory of
his whole life and his whole family life.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
You are changing. You are changing a whole family. So
if you bring five kids here, that's five.
Speaker 5 (36:17):
Family that you have impacted in a positive direction.
Speaker 4 (36:24):
And for me, that's the most important thing.
Speaker 5 (36:27):
That's what I enjoyed to know that somebody got an
opportunity to better his life, to better himself through something
that I can do.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
Do you feel like that's what happened with you when
you went to the US?
Speaker 5 (36:43):
Say yes, So, being knowing how bad I wanted an opportunity,
I wanted a way out, I wanted an opportunity, I
wanted something to happen. I was I was not going
to be my life. I was struggling. I mean I think,
tell you how many that I sat outside just look
at this. I look at the time like this is
this really it for me? And I was young. So
(37:09):
when you find ourself in a situation where like you
can help, right, like I woke up this morning. For example,
the kid that is coming here in two weeks, I
h I found him on the street two years ago
coming back from a basketball practice. He just started two
months into basketball. And I called and stopped him very long.
(37:29):
You're going to see him. He has that's like a
seven six or seven seven wins fan. And I stopped
him on the street and said, where are you coming from? Say,
basketball practice? And I'm like, where are you going?
Speaker 4 (37:39):
And going home? So I talked to him for a
little bit and then I'm like, okay, here's my phone number.
Reach out to me on what type or something.
Speaker 5 (37:45):
I just didn't even bother to ask me if he
had a phone, and I just gave him think and
then he.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
Left keep running.
Speaker 5 (37:52):
And then my friend I was waiting for calling me, Hey,
you're on the wrong gas station. Drive two block letter further.
You're going to be there, So drive passing. He's still running,
I go ahead and stop, and then I sit there
and and here he comes again. I was like, okay,
I think God want me to do something for this kid.
(38:12):
It's not a coincident that I see him twice. So
I tell him, do you have can you do you
have a phone number or your parents phone number? He
gave me his mom's phone number. I called my camp director,
who by the way, just won the Summer League with
the with the Charlotte Hornets, and I said, hey, call
this lady telling her to bring her son to the
camp tomorrow. He called her the next morning. He was
(38:33):
at the camp first.
Speaker 4 (38:34):
Day that day. I didn't I know he wasn't going
to be the best guy. He's not going to do it.
Speaker 5 (38:38):
I just wanted to see how he runs, how he moves.
At the end of that camp, nobody was closer to
help scholarship in my program than that kid. Two years later,
he is coming here in two weeks, even though we
still have to figure out his plent ticket because his
mom doesn't.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
He's struggling to to to get that.
Speaker 5 (38:55):
But I'm sure we will figure that out. But he
already got his visa and spick that out of school
and making it happen.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
That's an incredible story, so amazing listening to you talk
about this camp. And you know what's really cool about
your story is, and probably people don't know this, you
are in the well you were when you graduated in
the top ten for rebounding at Santa Clara. You actually
had more career rebounds than Kurt Rambis who went in
(39:26):
went on to the Lakers and won multiple rings with
the Lakers. So you have more career rebounds in college
than Kurt Rambis. And so it's sweet to hear the
kind of the full circle story about this. Why is
this camp and this will be our last question before
we headed the Sprint Sin spin cycle. Why is this
(39:48):
camp so important for Cameron?
Speaker 5 (39:53):
Yeah, it's this comes is so important for the kids
in camor Roon because opportunity to stunt come that easy. Uh,
you know the country. Life is very hard in the
country right now, and most people are trying to leave
(40:13):
the country because they can find any opportunities and and
you know, people are desperate for opportunities. You know, some
people wait for opportunity and they don't get it and
they decide to go to Europe by the desert and
by road. Then most people end up dying because it's
just that bad as somebody is willing to do his
life to go to so euro by sea.
Speaker 4 (40:35):
So if the younger generation.
Speaker 5 (40:38):
We can create more opportunity for the younger generation that
they never get to the point where they have to
make such a decision.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
Why not do it?
Speaker 5 (40:45):
If you have an opportunity to help and change your life,
why not do it. That's why I think it's important
for the kids in camera and I and I feel
it every day because I know when you have to
tell a kid that I'm sorry, you're not ready to
do the campus this year. Go home and work hard,
and maybe next year you're going to make it. You
can see in his face the disappointment. You know, he
(41:06):
feels like he you know, his life just stopped there
for a little while. And kids are excited for this opportunity.
They walk hard all year alone for this opportunity. They
want it, They want the opportunity, they want it.
Speaker 4 (41:18):
I'm like, it's it's it's.
Speaker 5 (41:22):
To be in a position to be able to provide
a way out two kids. There's a lot of very
shooting beside, you know, being the good the good dad.
I think that's the second gradest achievement.
Speaker 4 (41:38):
In my life.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
But it's super impressive and it's just amazing to see
you know that Michelle knew you was a student athlete,
and it's always, I think, great to see what the
student athletes are doing after college. And what you've done
is just nothing short of just awesome.
Speaker 4 (41:53):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
It's not surprising to those that know and love.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
All right, Well, Ynick, before where you leave us on
this episode, We've got one more segment. We call the
spin cycles, texting or talking, morning person or night owl?
Speaker 5 (42:10):
Oh, morning person, daddy, Yeah, money person person.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
Cold plunge or steamsana cold.
Speaker 4 (42:26):
Yes it hurts, but yes I will write it.
Speaker 1 (42:29):
At seahawks or forty nine ers.
Speaker 4 (42:34):
Oh seahawks.
Speaker 1 (42:38):
Wait till shoal here.
Speaker 2 (42:40):
That was surprised. All right, and I'm not sure if
you are the chef in the house, But what's for dinner?
Speaker 5 (42:47):
Uh? It can either be salmon with mush potatoes. Oh,
it can be pasta with chicken.
Speaker 1 (42:56):
Are your kids piggie eaters?
Speaker 4 (42:59):
Very picky eater?
Speaker 5 (43:00):
So every time they sit down and then the one
they agree to eat what I made, it's uh, you know,
I shake my head. The whole time I braggle bout
it that I got got him awesome.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
Well, thank you so much. Good luck at your camp
this year and years beyond. You know, we'll keep in
touch with you. You're going to have so many amazing
visuals that we're gonna want to use videos and photos,
and I just wish you the best of luck, be
safe and go out there and change some lives.
Speaker 5 (43:30):
Thank you, thank you, Michelle, thank you, Erica, and thank
you for the opportunity.
Speaker 1 (43:36):
Wow, Erica, that was really special And I'm really glad
that our listeners could hear the passion that Yannick has
for his Impact Basketball camp in Cameroon.
Speaker 2 (43:49):
Now what just what an incredible story from the beginning
to to just now. And I especially just think about
how he was then able to kind of one of
his mentors coach his son and that just comes full
circle and I think it's just incredible what he's doing,
and just he's got a gift for sure.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
Yeah, and I'm excited. We'll make sure that we put
all the links and stuff to Impact Charity at Africa
dot com and we'll put all those links in and
you can donate as well. And it's just so cool
to see. How you know, something that you think is
just how could that change your life? But how playing
(44:29):
basketball and shooting hoops could change someone's life so much
like it did for him and now what he continues
to do for others.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
Exactly just one single pair of shoes, you know, one
single moment of stepping on a basketball court and holding
that ball in your hand, and how those little moments
that are life changing. So it was a wonderful story
and so glad that I got to meet him through
you and share with our listeners.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
Yeah, thank you very much for listening. And like we said,
we'll put these links on our social and in the
write up about the podcast, and make sure that you
continue to subscribe to our podcast and like our podcasts
and make comments and
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com