Basketball camp highlights a full season at Ayden Arts & Recreation

Ready for summer

Alico Dunk will lead basketball camps this summer in the newly air-conditioned gym at the Ayden Arts and Recreation building, 4354 Lee St.

Basketball camp highlights a full season at Ayden Arts & Recreation

Afull lineup of athletic camps coming this summer from the Ayden Arts & Recreation Department is headlined by a hometown basketball evangelist.

Alico Dunk, head women’s basketball coach of Stillman College, will be leading the basketball camp o ered by the Ayden Arts and Recreation Department this summer. ere will be two sessions July 11-14 including a coed camp for ages 6-9 from 9 a.m. to noon and a coed camp for ages 1013 from 1-4 p.m. Both camps are designed to teach participants basketball skills including dribbling, passing and shooting.

Dunk stated that he wants to provide the campers a fundamental foundation of basketball as well as a space to have fun. He enjoys coaching and being able to pour into young people’s lives through basketball. “It means everything to give back to my community,” said Dunk.

An Ayden native himself, Dunk is excited to return to his roots and give back. He stated, “I like that Ayden is a family town. Everybody knows everybody.”

Dunk graduated from Ayden-Gri on High School in 1994 where he played both basketball and football. He attended the University of Tennessee on an athletic scholarship for one year then he transferred to East Carolina University.

Dunk played for the ECU Pirates from 1996-1999. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science. A er graduating college, Dunk worked for Farmville Middle School, Ayden-Gri on High School and Hertford County High School. Following his time teaching and coaching at Hertford County High School, Dunk played basketball professionally overseas in Saudi Arabia for a year before returning to the states, where he began coaching at Elizabeth City State University.

As a coach at ECSU, Dunk led the Lady Vikings in winning the CIAA Northern Division twice.

“Basketball has truly been a blessing to me,” said Dunk. He is excited about coming home to work with the young people of Ayden.

Ayden Arts and Recreation Director Tommy Duncan said that he is excited for the kids Dunk will be working with. He explained, “He can teach them to improve their skills. e kids will also be able to ask questions like what it takes to make it in basketball and in college.”

Having Dunk lead the basketball camp has been discussed for a few years, but it was previously tabled due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, this year, the town is able to move forward with all the camps.

In addition to basketball, speciality camps being o ered include art, soccer, tennis, football, volleyball, twirling and

dance. Specialty camps cost $25 for residents and $35 for non-residents. Details for the specialty camps include: • Session one of art camp is for ages 6 to 8 years and will be held July 25-28 from 9 a.m. to noon. • Session two of art camp is for ages 9 to 8 years and will be held Aug. 1-5 from 9 a.m. to noon. Alico Dunk • Soccer camp is for ages 9 to 13 years old and will be held June 20-24 from 9 a.m. to noon. • Tennis camp is for ages 8 to 12 years old and will be held June 20-23 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. • Football camp is for ages 8 to 12 years old and will be held July 25-29 from 9 a.m. to noon. • Volleyball camp is for ages 8 to 12 years old and will be held June 27-30 from 9 a.m. to noon. • Twirling camp is for ages 6 to 12 years old and will be held July 18-22 from 9 a.m. to noon. • Dance camp is for ages 6 to 12 years old and will be held Aug. 8-12 from 9 a.m. to noon. Along with the speciality camps, Arts & Rec will be o ering adult coed kickball and summer basketball and a number of arts classes through the summer. Visit ayden. com/departments/arts-recreation/ or call 252-481-5837 for more information and to register for all of the activities.

• Session one of art camp is for ages 6 to 8 years and will be held July 25-28 from 9 a.m. to noon. • Session two of art camp is for ages 9 to 12 years and will be held Aug. 1-5 from 9 a.m. to noon. • Soccer camp is for ages 9 to 13 years old and will be held June 20-24 from 9 a.m. to noon. • Tennis camp is for ages 8 to 12 years old and will be held June 20-23 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. • Football camp is for ages 8 to 12 years old and will be held July 25-29 from 9 a.m. to noon. • Volleyball camp is for ages 8 to 12 years old and will be held June 27-30 from 9 a.m. to noon. • Twirling camp is for ages 6 to 12 years old and will be held July 18-22 from 9 a.m. to noon. • Dance camp is for ages 6 to 12 years old and will be held Aug. 8-12 from 9 a.m. to noon.

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4264 Lee St., Ayden • 252-746-2228 Open 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday - Saturday

“The Pool Room” a common name heard throughout Ayden, has been in operation in downtown Ayden since the 1940s. Renamed Andy’s Grill & Recreation in 1971, the Stocks family bought the iconic business and expanded its services from a pool hall to a restaurant that also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. “We were Andy’s way before the chain and outlasted them,” said owner and manager Johnny Stocks, whose father, Andy, bought the business in the early 70s.

Stocks has watched his customers grow up over the years and their families expand. “Being in business 50 years, you develop relationships. Friends and family come to Andy’s when they are in town from D.C. and New York, just like they do at Bum’s and Skylight (Inn). “I have seen generations grow up, like kids who used to come in with their grandparents and now come back with their kids. I love it.”

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