SALISBURY— It’s always important to remember where you came from, so Jolly Manning goes out of his way to make sure he’ll never forget. 

The former Catawba College basketball player, Harlem Globetrotter, and current Rocky Mount High School coach returned to Salisbury this weekend to organize basketball camps at Hall Gym to teach local kids the finer points of basketball and teamwork. 

“Salisbury’s my second home and so I come here every summer to do basketball camps with the youth,” Manning said. “I love doing what I do for the kids. That’s my gift, to train kids on how to play basketball and to be a motivator and an innovator.” 

Manning was inspired to do these camps for the past decade by Jim Baker, his college basketball coach. Manning said they used to have camps when he attended Catawba and he believes what Baker did for him goes beyond the game of basketball. 

“He’s a great leader. Not only is he a great coach, but he’s a great man. He showed me what to do, how to reach the youth, and how to build a program where I can build kids up to be good at the game of basketball and use it as an outlet to get kids off the streets,” Manning said. 

Manning does several camps by himself and with Baker, but the one he had on April 5 and 6 at Hall Gym struck a chord with him on a personal level. Manning used to practice at Hall Gym while at Catawba and, to him, coming back puts everything in perspective. 

“I feel like I’m home when I’m here. Everybody’s inviting, an inviting atmosphere. Everybody in the city are pretty nice people. I just thank God to be able to come back and give back to the youth,” Manning said. 

On April 5, Manning taught kids about dribbling, shooting, passing, and proper technique before they all played a full-court basketball game. Manning’s camps are co-ed and participants’ ages range from 5 to 15. Manning stressed the philosophy Baker hammered home with him: B.E.E.F, which stands for balance, elbow, eyes, and follow through. 

Yasmin Roseberg brought her daughters to Manning’s camp on Friday just like she’s done whenever he’s in Salisbury. The two have known each other for a while and she said she will continue to register for these camps for as long as they are around. 

“We love when we get to see Coach Jolly. I actually went to college with Jolly, so we went to Catawba together,” Roseberg said. “We’ve been coming here for years and I love when Coach Jolly comes back and offers this to the community. Especially here at Hall Gym because it’s kind of off the map and tucked away, so it’s like a little treasure.”

Manning said he plans to have more youth basketball camps in Salisbury this summer for those who need them most. Even after all these years, Manning is still committed to giving kids the same opportunities he had no matter the cost. 

“In my neighborhood, all we had was basketball to keep us out of trouble. There are a lot of kids in this area that can’t afford to play AAU basketball, so this is the place for them to be. The ones who can’t afford it, I train them for free. I do it because I love it,” Manning said.