Neelyville standout returns to host basketball camp

A former Neelyville basketball standout returns home to give the children of Southeast Missouri the opportunity to learn the game and improve their skills on the court.

Jentri Worley will host her 2nd annual basketball camp for 3rd-8th grade boys and girls at the Black River Coliseum on July 19th and 20th.

“I’m excited because we had a lot of fun last year,” Worley said. “ I love teaching little kids. They want to be in the gym and want to learn. We had a great time last year, so I’m really excited about teaching them new things this year. I’ve already had some people sign up that came last year, so I’m excited to see their growth and just ready to teach the new kids.”

Worley graduated from Neelyville High School in 2019, where she guided the team to a state championship as a junior. She finished with over 2,000 points in her career, averaging 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists as a senior while never losing a conference game during her high school career. After high school, she attended Murray State and now plays at the University of South Carolina Aiken.

The basketball camp received a lot of positive feedback last year from the town of Neelyville, and when the opportunity came to make it available to more athletes, she jumped at it. Worley received tons of interest from Dexter and Poplar Bluff and wanted to pick a more central location where everyone could attend.

Worley said the idea for a basketball camp came from the lack of camps that were offered to girls in the area. Her main goal is to teach the game she loves to any child willing to learn and show younger girls that playing on the collegiate level is possible.

“I grew up around here, and I always wanted to play college basketball the moment I started playing,” she said. “It was disappointing that my parents had to drive me to South Carolina or Arkansas because there weren’t many camps around here. Coach Bess had the boy’s camps, but there wasn’t anything like for girls.

I plan to fill that void in the surrounding areas to ensure girls know they can play college basketball too. Basketball has given me a way out by allowing me to explore the country and create relationships that will go on throughout my life.”

Despite making it to the collegiate level, Worley believes there is a stereotype that it’s impossible to make it when you’re from a small town. She aims to show young girls and boys that they don’t have to settle and that they can achieve anything with hard work.

Worley expects to see many new faces this year to pass on the skills she’s learned during her career. As a player who’s made it past the high school level, Worley said it’s important to come back and teach the younger athletes everything she’s learned on her journey.

“Teaching the young girls and boys is really important to me,” Worley said. “I’ve learned so much and continue to learn so I can pass that on to them, something I didn’t have when I started playing.

I’ve learned so much more stuff, not just about basketball, but just how to make relationships with people on the court and play with others. I’ve learned a lot of skills too. Being able to give that to kids here, I feel that it would be really eye-opening and something they can add to their game.”

Last year, Worley had over 30 kids at her camp and could see a rise with the new location. Regardless of who shows, she isn’t considered with the numbers.

“I had a solid number of kids show up last year, and that was great,” Worley said. “I’m just happy people wanted to come, and if I have 30 kids this year or 150, that’s fine too. I just want to be able to teach and help whoever I can.”

Stepping into the gym, Worley said the kids can expect to have a lot of fun because that’s what she really wants them to learn.

“Sometimes I feel there are all these expectations when a person plays basketball, but I just want to teach that basketball is fun. Winning is fun, and being a part of a team is fun, so my goal is for them to have a great time. I will also push them a little bit because I want them to get better. I’m really looking forward to teaching new skills and having a blast while doing so.

Signups are available via Facebook, and people can contact Jentri Worley at 573-772-0761 for more information.