Iraqi Girls Hoop It Up At Pat Summitt Camp

Pat Summitt and her Tennessee Lady
Volunteers staff routinely preach basketball fundamentals to
campers - just not to players from Iraq.
    There were 10 eager teenage Iraq girls at Summitt’s annual camp
this week, hanging on every word: games can’t be won without
defense and ball control is the foundation of good offense.
    The Iraq contingent was in Knoxville from June 3 through
Thursday as part of a U.S. Department of State exchange program.
They toured Washington, attended a WNBA game and visited the
Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in addition to participating in
Summitt’s camp.
      Unlike the American campers who have played basketball for most
of their lives, the Iraqi girls have played organized basketball
for only a year or two.
    Most of them play on open-air courts in Iraq and get little game
time during the hot summers.
    Summitt said she was impressed with how easily the girls - who
are from different parts of Iraq - came together to form a team.