Eustachy 'Dismisses' Campers

by Dumant Ireland, HA Sports Reporter

Today the courts are silent.  There are no cheers, fast breaks, or referees' whistles at USM's Reed Green Coliseum.  Larry Eustachy's Golden Eagle Basketball Camp for boys ages 9-12 was cancelled on Tuesday afternoon when Eustachy "dismissed" campers after a short speech.  The camp was scheduled for Monday, July 18, through today (Saturday, July 23), and was to conclude with a tournament championship game and an awards ceremony.  Instead, young campers were left scrambling on Tuesday afternoon to call their parents and arrange for transportation back home.

"I didn't know what I was going to do," stated Langston Perdue, an 11-year old from Ocean Springs.  "My father was on a business trip to Cancun, and my mother works all day during weekdays.  Luckily I got my aunt on her cell phone --- she came and got me," Perdue said.

In what must be the most bizzare ending to a Golden Eagle summer camp in history, first-year USM Men's Basketball Coach Larry Eustachy called a halt to the week-long events after just one and one half days.  "I know people are a little rattled.  But I did what I felt I had to do," Eustachy explained.  "The kids weren't into me.  Their mental makeup was not what I look for in a successful camp, or basketball program in general.  I just wasn't feeling it this year," Eustachy stated. 

Laura Thomas, Perdue's aunt, said that her sister had a bad feeling about the camp this year.  "She told me that she overheard Eustachy telling some of the camp instructors [during pre-registration on Sunday] that he was disappointed that all the kids were from Mississippi.  He was asking why there were no players from Chicago or Los Angeles," Thomas indicated.  "She said he seemed real upset about it," Thomas concluded.

Camp officials insisted that they would work hard to have the kids placed in other basketball camps around the area this Summer (or next).  Those that are not satisfied will have their tuition and room-and-board payments refunded.  Still, some parents were shaken by the whole situation.  "I don't know what happened here, but it's disturbing, to say the least," stated John Broome of Meridian.  "I can't say we'll be back here anytime soon," Broome indicated.

In an official press release, Eustachy indicated that his annual Summer camp will resume next year.  Eustachy was hired in 2004 after the dismissal of James Green, who is now the head coach at Mississippi Valley State University.