Jordan Farmar gives back to kids in Los Angeles through his basketball camp Hoop Farm
Former UCLA point guard Jordan Farmar held Hoop Farm, a four-day-long basketball camp for boys and girls aged 7-16, at the John Wooden Center. Now in its fourth year, the camp began in 2008 and is run through the Jordan Farmar Foundation, which also works closely with the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital.
By Daniel Khayat
July 25, 2011 12:35 a.m.
Meet Drake London.
A promising center prospect, London has the size and inside presence of a dominant post player but also possesses the court vision and ball handling skills of a swingman. He patrols the paint on defense, picking off wayward passes and swatting away the shots of the unfortunate souls who dare venture onto his turf.
London’s lefty jump shot needs some work, but the towering 5-footer lists rebounding as his favorite aspect of the game, a mindset that helps any big man prospect stay on the court as he develops on offense.
But a word of warning to any college basketball coaches salivating while reading this article: Put your recruiting phone calls on hold for at least the near future. London is 9 years old.
London is just one of the 120 attendees at Hoop Farm, a four-day-long basketball camp, for boys and girls aged 7-16, held by former Bruin point guard Jordan Farmar at UCLA’s John Wooden Center.
Farmar, who now plays for the New Jersey Nets, has been running the camp since 2008 through the Jordan Farmar Foundation.
And when Union Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter based in downtown Los Angeles, contacted him asking if he could provide camp scholarships (tuition for the camp is $450) for children living on their facility on Skid Row, Farmar was more than happy to oblige.
“I’m just looking to give back and give scholarships to some kids who might be less fortunate or (who are) athletically talented but just don’t have the financial means to come to an event like this,” Farmar said as camp was winding down on Thursday.
Of the 120 children attending the camp, 15 are scholarship recipients from URM.
A nonprofit organization founded in 1891, URM houses 61 Los Angeles-based families whose only other alternative is homelessness. Reverend Andy Bales, the CEO of URM, is very grateful for the opportunity that Hoop Farm provides for a small number of the children.
“For the kids who’ve experienced it, it’s made a world of difference,” Bales said. “You could imagine going from a shelter on Skid Row to going to the UCLA campus and playing in a big-time gym and having a professional NBA player spend one-on-one time with you. I’m sure that’s like a dream come true.”
Farmar has maintained close ties with the UCLA community since leaving for the NBA after his sophomore season in 2006.
“(Coming back to UCLA) means a lot,” Farmar said. “(It was) a big part of my development, and once you’re a Bruin you’re always a Bruin. I wanted to make sure I reached out as much as I could to stay in contact with the university and give back and just come around and be supportive of them. They’re supportive of me, and it’s a great partnership, and that’s how it’s supposed to be.”
The camp is overseen by Farmar and a staff of former teammates and coaches who stress the importance of teamwork and a healthy lifestyle rather than focusing on shooting and dribbling.
Former UCLA shooting guard Josh Shipp, who now plays for Galatasaray S.K. in Turkey, has been involved with Hoop Farm as a counselor since its inception. Shipp, who grew close with Farmar during their time together in Westwood, is impressed with what his former roommate has accomplished with the camp.
“What Jordan’s doing here is giving back to the community, so I’m just trying to do my part,” Shipp said. “For me, it’s getting out here and letting the kids know (that) we were once kids just like them, and if they keep coming in and working hard, they can be where we are.”
Farmar is no stranger to philanthropy; through his foundation, he has done extensive work with the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, donating money to provide webcam-ready computers to the hospital so patients can video chat with their families on a daily basis. He also donated money to help facilitate the development of a “green room” where the children can escape the confines of their beds and have a relaxed environment in which they can study and play.
In addition, while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Farmar would bring a child from the hospital to each Sunday home game and spend time with them after the final whistle.
“It’s just a way for me to give back and interact with some people who are going through some tough times and to show that I care, and I take time out of my schedule to spend some time with them,” Farmar said.
Aside from skills on the basketball court, Hoop Farm brings together children from two vastly different backgrounds.
“I’m sure it’s great to meet with kids that are maybe in more familiar and positive circumstances,” Bales said. “And I hope that not only Jordan and his team are making a positive influence, but I hope that the other children that they’re spending time with (are as well). Maybe our kids are bringing something more to camp than anyone else. They’ve grown up quick having to shoulder the load of homelessness.”
With Hoop Farm, Farmar is doing his best to lighten that load, even if only for four days.
