During Thursday’s dunk contest.
RCBC founder Raiquan Clark (center) with campers Jennavie Roman (left) and Avery McLean (right).
New Haven native Raiquan Clark often thinks about the needs of the city that raised him — even as he plays professional basketball overseas in places like Germany, Finland, and Spain.
That hometown pride was the inspiration for an annual summer camp that Clark hosts at the Q House on Dixwell Avenue. The Raiquan Clark Basketball Camp (RCBC) just wrapped up its third year on Thursday — with its highest enrollment ever.
Since the camp started on June 22, the Q House gym has come alive with the dribbling, passing, and shooting of campers ages 8-17 years old. On Thursday, upbeat music played from Clark’s phone meshed with the room’s steady tune of sneakers squeaking and teammates calling out plays to each other.
For the camp’s third year, enrollment grew significantly. Clark recalled that the camp, which is open to both boys and girls, started with 10 campers three years ago. This year enrollment grew to around 45 campers.
“When I learned basketball as a teen, it led me to be a better human being,” Clark said. “I want them all to see a different version of themselves from this.”
On Thursday, the camp hosted its first ever All-Star games for the younger children and teens, as well as a campers-versus-coaches finale.
Clark began playing basketball at Jackie Robinson School, now King/Robinson, then went on to Hillhouse High School. After attending Trinity-Pawling School, he went to Long Island University. He was the program’s all-time leading scorer.
Over the years Clark has played professionally with Wiha Panthers Schwenningen in Germany’s ProA league, Albacete Basket in Spain, and the Salon Vilpas in Finland. This year he signed with the men’s basketball team in Luxembourg, the BBC Grengewald Hueschtert.
While Clark’s camp uses basketball as its foundation, it also includes financial literacy workshops and seminars focused on getting through adversity and learning to express oneself. This year it hosted M&T Bank to teach about credit, budgeting, and checking and savings accounts.
Alongside Clark, five of his friends and fellow pro-basketball players coached this year’s campers. He also got help running the program from his family, including his mom, Shontay Watts, who he said “inspires me everyday.” Clark thanked the team around him for making this year’s camp such a success.
For the first time this year, RCBC hosted an All-Star cookout Thursday for the campers and their families to celebrate the conclusion of the summer session. Roughly 60 people on Thursday turned out for skill challenges, a dunk contest, and the final games.
Clark said the camp is not about making youth want to pursue basketball long term. Instead his focus is providing youth with an outlet to stay active, learn life skills, and have a safe space to enjoy with their peers.
“This is us doing what we have to do as community,” he said. “The biggest win is giving back.”
ESUMS sophomore Avery McLean, 14, joined RCBC last summer. He said he most enjoys being pushed to be better on a daily basis. He hopes one day to play basketball professionally. He currently plays basketball for Hillhouse.
This summer Avery focused on improving his ball handling. He said he also gained new problem solving skills for on and off the court. “When my team was being pressed during a game last week I had to think on the spot how we can get out of it,” he recalled.
After this summer he hopes to make Hillhouse’ varsity team.
Jennavie Roman, 12, a rising seventh grader at Hamden middle school, also joined RCBC last year and hopes to have a career in basketball.
Jennavie said she began RCBC this year lacking confidence. Three weeks later, she said she had positivity poured into her and her peers daily by the camp’s coaches. That’s what made her want to keep coming back.
She said that going to this camp has been a great alternative to just staying at home and scolling on her phone. Instead, she’s learned lessons around being consistent and confident.
She also said that she recently participated in the camp’s three-point contest. “I thought I wouldn’t do well,” she recalled thinking, until “coach Raiquan told me I’m made of confidence.” As a result Jennavie won second place
RCBC 2026 campers and staff.
Campers and families enjoy All-Star games.
Discover more from InnerCity News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
