Former KU All-American Thomas Robinson bringing “Beyond Basketball” camp to Kansas

By Matt Tait     Sep 8, 2020

Richard Gwin
Kansas forward Thomas Robinson goes up for a dunk against Oklahoma State on Monday, Feb. 25, 2012, at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla.

Former Kansas All-American Thomas Robinson is bringing an elite basketball experience for children ages 9-17 to the Sunflower State later this month.

Through his new camp, dubbed The Thomas Robinson Beyond Basketball Performance Program, the former KU forward plans to introduce young athletes in the area to all aspects of the game, from education and nutrition to drill work and film study.

The three-day camp will take place Sept. 18-20 at SportsPlex in Olathe, and Robinson hopes to make it an annual event.

“Our foundation already has these things in Philly and D.C.,” Robinson told the Journal-World on Tuesday of the F.O.E. Foundation he co-founded with former KU teammates Marcus and Markieff Morris. “And I’m just trying to tie together all of the things that are connected to me. I just want to make an impact in all of those areas, and Kansas is definitely a part of me.”

The cost is $200 per camper and the camp will have two sessions, with the younger kids filling one session and the older group working together on their own. Food and camp apparel will be included in the cost.

Robinson, who played five seasons in the NBA after being the No. 5 overall pick of Sacramento in 2012, will have a few former Jayhawks on hand to help educate the campers in all aspects of basketball and life, and he’s also bringing in top NBA trainer Chris Johnson and some of his staff to help take the kids through combine-style agility testing.

Johnson has worked with LeBron James, Ben Simmons, Dwyane Wade, Donovan Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins and dozens of other notable players during his career.

As the name suggests, the camp will strive to teach the young athletes about more than just basketball. For example, Robinson said Tyrel Reed and Conner Teahan will talk to the campers about their careers in medicine and finance just as much as they will talk to them about the proper form on a jump shot.

“We have them speaking with the kids just to show them that there’s other outlets besides basketball,” Robinson said. “We’re just trying to give like more of a school-type basketball camp because we really want to build these guys up.”

The camp was partially influenced by KU coach Bill Self’s annual fantasy camp in that it aims to offer its participants the entire experience, from training and watching film to playing and bonding with teammates.

Robinson said the goal of the camp is to create an elite training environment that helps players and parents develop athletes who have a chance to play at the highest levels of the game.

“This camp is an investment in your child’s development,” Robinson said. “So for the parents who feel their kids have a real love of the game, we want to teach them everything they need to know about how to succeed in basketball. We’re going to take their game to another level — guaranteed.”

For more information, or to register, visit the camp’s page on eventbrite.com.

According to the page, “all participants will receive a camp safety package that will include a mask, temperature check devices along with other items that ensure proper safety measures are taken at this event. A COVID station will be on site where our licensed nurses will be screening participants before and in between court sessions to maximize our safety efforts. Refunds will be honored for COVID-19 related issues.”

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.